5th Year English students go to superb production of 'Hamlet' in The Gate Theatre

Hamlet at The Gate was theatre at its finest, and as a class we were very lucky to get to see such a fine production. When we arrived at the theatre I don’t think many of us knew what to expect. For a lot of people, the prospect of a three and a half hour Shakespearean production wasn’t very appealing – for me however I couldn’t have been more excited. Having read a few reviews beforehand, I was pretty sure we were in for something special. And I couldn’t have been more right. From the moment we saw Ruth Negga walk onto the stage I felt overwhelmed as to how good this was going to be.

The first act was full of superb performances, all accompanied by a beautiful score and clever lighting design. It flew in and I was interested to speak to my friends at the interval to hear their reactions. We were all utterly speechless which is strange for our class. Every one of us was blown away. We all agreed we had just watched something special and couldn’t wait for the second act to begin. We quickly settled back down for the second act. It did not disappoint. And at the end we gave the cast a well-deserved standing ovation.

The Gate’s production of Hamlet and Ruth Negga’s performance moved me in a way I’ve never experienced before. I genuinely felt overwhelmed by the talent on the stage in front of me. It lingers in the mind long after you leave the theatre, and I sat on the bus home that night, in silence whilst I tried to take in fully all I had seen. Even now whilst I write this, I still feel deeply affected by the play. I don’t think it will leave my mind for a very long time.

Thank you to Ms Reynold and Ms Talbot for organising such a memorable trip.

Ross Smith (5th Year)