Hamlet (EWTC show)

Updated on Oct 09, 2024

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Genre A play with music Writer William Shakespeare		Director Haris Pašović Set designer Amir Vuk Zec
Company East West Theatre Company Location Bosnian Culture Centre, Tuzla

Hamlet is a theatre show produced by the East West Theatre Company from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and directed by Haris Pašović. The co-producer for Hamlet are Bosnian Cultural Centre Tuzla, British Council/Urban Cultures and Zagreb Youth Theatre (ZKM).

Director Haris Pašović's main hero, Hamlet, is a Muslim hero struggling to survive in an ancient Islamic superpower. That is, East West Theatre Company's Hamlet is set in Topkapı Palace, Ottoman sultan’s court in Istanbul. Shakespeare's story and the names remained the same, save the titles (sultan) and Turkey instead of Denmark, as well as cultural references.

Original cast of East West Theatre Company's Hamlet includes the following actors and characters:

Amar Selimovic plays courageous, playful and seductive Hamlet who faces the most important political, intimate and metaphysical choices in the dramatic and fast-moving world.

Damjana Cerne is Gertrude, valid sultan, the most powerful woman in the Ottoman Empire, gracious but passionate.

Sultan Claudius, played by Frano Maskovic, is handsome and perfidious - almost Hamlet’s age.

Miodrag Krivokapic is poignant as profoundly unhappy Ghost, mysterious Player and mind-blowing Grave-digger.

Zana Marjanovic plays rebellious erotic Ophelia, oppressed by her father.

Horatio, played by Damir Markovina is sexy and smart, much more than Hamlet’s shadow.

Slaven Knezovic plays both manipulative Polonius and selfish Laertes.

Armin Catic and Aldin Omerovic play soft and unscrupulous Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as well as several other roles.

Fortinbras is a woman, a contemplative princess played by Sabina Bambur.

Costume design was created by the well-known trio of designers known as Kao Pao Shu, and the se was designed by the Bosnian architect Amir Vuk Zec. Production is accompanied by Bosnian musicians Dino Sukalo (guitar), Atilla Aksoy (keyboards, bass), Amar Cesljar (percussions) and a Turkish musician Melih Berse (ney) who play live on stage. Robin Holmes (Paris) is dramaturge, Toni Cots (Barcelona) dance choreographer, Ragib Karamehmedović and Krešimir Brajković stage-combat choreograpohers, while Lejla Jusic is a singing coach.

References

Hamlet (EWTC show) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA