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September 20, 2018 | What Did You Think?,
What did you think of Hamnet?
Hello? Audience? Are you there?
Thank you joining us and hearing Hamnet’s story! What brought you to the performance and what are you taking away? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Opening night audiences said:
– “It was otherworldly and so beautiful!”
– “It was amazing, I want to see it again.”
– “What a great performance, loved the video effects.”
And from Twitter:
– “ABSOLUTELY stunning & gorgeous.” – @TankWitch
– “Haunting, funny, and complex. Brilliantly performed and staged.” – @BrianJPick
If you’re dying to read more, look no further than our blog for history, behind the scenes content, and more!
I came because I thought it was a clever idea to use Shakespeare’s son to tell a different story about him. I left with far more than that story — with so much to think about. What a great performance, loved the video effects. And, one hour — yay!
So funny that you should celebrate the one-hour length. When I originally saw the show in the Netherlands, I wasn’t aware- at all- of time. It’s a pretty packed hour, eh? So much going on. Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience.
Took two kids to see Hamnet last night. Wasn’t sure what to expect. Absolutely loved it. All three of us did. Renewed my love for live theatre. And best part, it gave me and the kiddos so much to talk and think about. It’s thought-provoking, painfully contemporary but also timeless. Young lead is an unquestionable talent. My almost 8-year-old made me wait for almost an hour to get his autograph. Granted, unless your family is that of serious theatre geeks I wouldn’t recommend this for under-11 crowd just because of subject matter and very brief (and what u thought to be meaningful and non gratuitous) nudity. On the way back, the kids and I talked about how losing his only son and the guilt of not living with him prior to his death, must have stripped Shakespeare to his core and he had no place to hide from the pain other than his work, of course. But this play isn’t about the work that Shakespeare was (is!) known for, its about his child that lived and died an unknown, in the shadow the greatest playwright of all time. Well, thanks to the playwrights who bring this work to stages around the world, Hamnet is an unknown no more.
Greatly enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone involved with the show.
Thank you for taking the time to write, Yana. I’m very glad the show sparked the discussions you describe with your family. It’s a surprisingly “family-oriented” show, and the best discussions are taking place among families who see it together. It’s opening all sorts of topics that would be hard to surface otherwise.
Absolutely loved this play. Aran was simply spectacular. It takes a pretty amazing 11-year-old to captivate a full audience, but that’s exactly what he did. The story played on all emotions; it was laugh out loud in parts and very thought provoking. You realize that even centuries ago child/parent relationships are deeply emotional and can leave you with devastating guilt. I brought my granddaughter, who grew up with an absentee mother and is now as a young adult reaching out to ask her mom many of the same questions that Hamnet asked his dad. We talked about this play the entire 2-hour drive home. Thank you for a beautiful story!!
The child-actor in the lead role was the draw for me to attend this particular production, as I used to be a drama teacher for children ages 6-12. I enjoyed every minute of the play as it unfolded before me, revealing a confident, poised young actor, who also charmed with a child’s curiosity, innocence and wonder. The juxtaposition of scale and the shadow effects enhanced the magic of the stage. Beautifully told, this is a timeless story about the alienation of a child by a famous parent.