The Play endures, not simply for its wisdom or acted excitements, but because, though he is by no means Everyman, there is at least a trace of Hamlet in us all.
J.C. Trewin.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Hamlet Play Guide. For more than four centuries this enduringly popular play has inspired and provoked scholars, theatre practitioners and playgoers alike. If people can quote just one line of Shakespeare, it is likely to be from this play. Every corner of the text has been delved into, every line pored over. As the deadline approached, I kept thinking of things I’d like to add – there is so much to say about Hamlet. It is so rich, so resonant, so seemingly relevant. So what, you might ask, can we say that’s new? Well, Play Guides don’t just give background information to Shakespeare’s life and times and plays. They also, through journal entries and extensive interviews, offer unique insights to the production process at the RSC.

Our Hamlet Play Guide is a record of Michael Boyd’s first production as Artistic Director of the RSC: but it also, through past production photographs and reviews, offers readers a view of the RSC’s long and rich tradition of staging the play - and it’s crammed full of interesting ideas for teachers and students to use in classrooms and drama studio.

Read on and enjoy!

Roz Symon
RSC Play Guide Writer and Editor

Credits