Hamlet at Bolton Octagon
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
It’s an exciting time for Bolton Octagon – not only are they celebrating a thrilling fiftieth anniversary season but the theatre is also looking forward to an impressive expansion, which is scheduled to start in 2018. The redevelopment of the theatre will see the building enlarged and modernised, ensuring the theatre’s future for generations to come.
A true jewel in Bolton’s crown – the Octagon site is set to close from mid-2018 and reopen in autumn 2019. During this period of closure, the theatre will remain active with performances scheduled to take place in alternative spaces across Bolton. Cue – Bolton on the Road Season – which kicks off with Summer Holiday, their first off-site production.
It’s a cracking season – and we’re perhaps most excited about David Thacker returning to the Octagon to direct one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Hamlet. The perfect play to celebrate the Octagon’s fiftieth anniversary – Thacker hopes that the play will ‘speak afresh for people who have seen The Bard’s masterpiece many times before’ while also offer a ‘compelling and thrilling experience’ for those who are new to the play and the works of Shakespeare.
Straight from London’s West End David Ricardo-Pearce takes the title role of Hamlet, who returns from a period of studying abroad to find his home completely changed. Unsure of his place in the world, it’s a tale of love and revenge. And in an increasingly uncertain world, Shakespeare’s play resonates more than ever with a contemporary audience. This is a production about trust, loyalty and one man’s struggle to control his destiny.
This is the perfect opportunity to watch one of the most famous plays ever written by William Shakespeare – with many of the cast fresh from productions in the West End and with David Thacker at the helm, this is a production that should not be missed.
