Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is the debut production from GUTTER theatre, a new theatre collective based in Edinburgh. Written by Tom Stoppard, this absurd play recomposes Shakespeare’s iconic Hamlet, exploring school friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Stoppard vibrantly paints these minor characters whilst also reinforcing them as two parts of a unified being. Often compared to Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, this is a play that dramatises the act of waiting.
The play is divided into three acts. For quite a long play involving a lot of waiting, the intervals are important for adequate pacing.
In the first act, there is very little indication of place besides faint bird noises, as the protagonists travel to the royal court. While the play is a bit tricky to follow in the first act, it is certainly entertaining, as you get sucked into the absurdity of the two characters’ circumstances.
The second act firmly places us in the royal court, with characters from Hamlet running on and off stage. Anna Yarwood’s Polonius is a highlight, hunched over and moving so slowly that you wonder if she has actually been possessed by a bumbling old man.
Shaun Hamilton is a self-assured and at times narcissistic Guildenstern, whose attempts at dominating are diminished by Callum Porteous’ friendly awkwardness as Rosencrantz. They play into each other really well comically, making their deaths particularly poignant as they stand side by side. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s costumes served as a nice balance between the players’ eccentric pirate-like costumes, and the more restrained costumes of the members of the royal court. Amelie Berry especially stands out as The Player, exuding a cocky assurance and cheekily reminding us that the play cannot end until Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
This is definitely an impressive debut from GUTTER, with consistently captivating performances, and a skilful handling of a complex script.
Production Image by Rue Richardson(@Ruerichardsonx) provided by GUTTER Theatre