The King’s Player was a wild ride through the world of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Tref Gare took on the challenge of playing 16 characters in a solo performance that went from the lowest rung of Danish society all the way up to the King himself.
The central character is that of a wandering minstrel struggling to find work that will put a roof over his head. After decades of fruitless struggle, he catches a lucky break when Hamlet, Prince of Denmark offers him the chance to perform before the royal court. To obtain the title of the King’s Player, the minstrel must perform The Murder of Gonzago, which those familiar with Shakespeare will know is the play within a play from Hamlet. The minstrel does not know the play and embarks on a series of increasingly absurd adventures to find out what to perform.Â
The comedy in the show moved at a fast pace and switched from slapstick to wordplay to musical numbers while incorporating many cultural references. While most of these were Shakespeare-related, there were plenty of other references from opera, musical theatre and pop music all thrown into the mix.
It would be quite a challenge for any audience member to be able to correctly identify all the references in the show. Gare skilfully moved from character and modes of comedy with relentless energy. It was a truly impressive performance that had the audience engaged and laughing from the start to the end. Gare can make each character recognisably distinct through physical and vocal techniques.
The lighting design was a very important aid to the performance. It helped with the distinguishing of character and scene and was vital to making the show work. Other than the lights there was a medieval tapestry at the back of the stage to set the mood and a trunk that was used cleverly to switch characters using high and low positioning. This simple staging set-up worked well; it placed a lot of emphasis on the performer to maintain the engagement of the audience. Fortunately, Gare was up to the task.Â
The show worked better for those familiar with the source material. It didn’t require an in-depth knowledge of Hamlet, but an understanding of the basic concept of the play within a play and some of the famous lines would add to the enjoyment. However, it was still accessible for audiences with no background knowledge through the slapstick comedy and more modern references.
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Gare did an amazing job in a hilarious one-man show that took the audience into the Dark Ages in Denmark, looking at the world of Hamlet from the perspective of a bit player with the ambition to become the King’s Player.
The King’s Player
Alex Theatre
Writer/Performer: Tref Gare
Lighting Design: Kris Chainey
The King’s Player was performed 19-26 April 2024.
