Hamlet (Hamlet Isn't Dead) NYC Reviews and Tickets

87%

(19 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Ambitious, Riveting, Clever

About the Show

In Hamlet Isn't Dead's new staging of the classic tragedy, two actors will alternate the roles of Hamlet and Ophelia each performance.

The play sees Hamlet, prince of Denmark, navigate grief and the tragedy of their father’s death, their mother’s overhasty remarriage, and their crumbling relationship with lover Ophelia. As Hamlet’s life falls apart, they discover hidden truths and machinations in the court, and must wrestle not only with the ruthless new king and cronies, but also their own internal turmoil.

Member Reviews (19)

Good use of music, Strong acting, Well-trimmed, Successful gender swap, Intimate theater

See it if you like WS re-visited. Female Hamlet works fine;male Ophelia less compelling. Actors thru-out theater. Music/drum is strg addition. Lively.

Don't see it if you want all actors great. Older actors less strong. Claudius was weak: spoke softly, quickly, w/o feeling; fumbled lines. Polonius meh. Read more

Beautifully played, Thrilling, Stripped-down, Affecting, Inspired

See it if you’d like to see an inspired, spare accounting of the most famous play in the English language.

Don't see it if you want your Hamlet complete: this version is judiciously but extensively trimmed. Read more

Riveting, Must see, Great acting, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if You want a well-trained classical cast that lets the text work on its own w/out unnecessary business. You want a modern take on Shakespeare.

Don't see it if You want Hamlet in it's original, uncut version. You prefer more classical styling of Shakespeare. You dislike intimate staging.

Ambitious, Epic, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if To see or not to see. (Yes slap me it's fine.) Look, it's Hamlet and the players are good. If you like Hamlet, you should go.

Don't see it if You aren't into Shakespeare. You need a big fancy set and period costumes. Etc.

Absorbing, Refreshing, Great acting, Entertaining, Ambitious

See it if You love Shakespeare and want to see a unique take on a classic, and prefer minimal staging so the focus is on the words.

Don't see it if You don't like classic Shakespeare tampered with, prefer plays with elaborate sets and props.

Thought-provoking, Masterful, Great acting, Entertaining, Clever

See it if You love Shakesphere. Acting is excellent speaking Old English. Lots of laughs. Actors interchange rolls. Actors switch rolls nightly.

Don't see it if You don't like Shakesphere

Intelligent, Ambitious, Great acting

See it if You want to see a production where the actors know everything they are saying and convey it clearly to the audience. & you love Shakespeare

Don't see it if You dislike Shakespeare &/or prefer bells & whistles with your productions. Also, if you cannot climb stairs.

Intelligent, Intense, Riveting, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You want to consider gender implications in the bard's work. This score is for the female-Hamlet version, which was riveting.

Don't see it if You expect more than just strong performances. This is a bunch of actors and a stage Read more

Critic Reviews (5)

“A well-acted rendition with a breakneck tempo that works both for and against it...Directed with refreshing clarity...Greener’s gruff, brisk, and quippy take on Hamlet just gets too far ahead of the audience too fast...It tears through the text at such a pace that the questions are left unexplored...Hamlet Isn’t Dead stands among the most impressive and insightful of the New York Shakespeare scene. And if they would ever so slightly ease up on the gas, we could fully admire the view."
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"This is a terrific production. It's a lean and hungry 'Hamlet': quick moving and well-staged (though, depending on where you sit, you may have to swivel your neck a lot), featuring a terrific cast. Greener's Hamlet is sharp with both pain and wit, and Laws's Ophelia is appealingly vulnerable and sincere."
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"Captivates and excites...In a play easily weighed down by the fame and bulk of Shakespeare’s writing, this production finds instead the honest urgency and heartbreak between family and friends forced into awful circumstances...Feels fresh and urgent in a time where political families’ internal squabbles seem relevant as ever...Usually wary of gender-swaps, this reviewer found Greener to fully embody a refreshing, delightful Hamlet."
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"Everyone in the cast was well prepared and professional, the live music skillfully-performed and entertaining. I wish I could mention them all, but there isn’t room. Suffice to say, this is an entertaining and accessible 'Hamlet,' beautifully designed to attract a young audience, a fine portrayal of this incredible masterwork. If you ever wished your kids would take an interest in something other than pop-culture trivia, give this a try. It’s a superb introduction to a great classic."
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"What Rightmyer is exploring is the nature of grief subverted. Specifically, how the inability to express grief goes septic, how bottling grief can make the living go mad. This thesis is achingly realized in Greener's portrayal of the Melancholy Dane...Hamlet Isn't Dead's signature brand is a swift Shakespeare, with fun, music, and considerable ad-libbed clowning, which means that for years, I've been wondering whether HID could pull 'Hamlet' off. The answer: Absolutely Yes."
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