The ThreeWeeks review of the American High School Theatre Festival's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which stops short of calling for a ban on AHSTF performances, even though they do horrible things to this gorgeous script:
What's it all about? So asks Rosencrantz (or Guildenstern, who knows, or cares?) at the end of Tom Stoppard's wordy, clever take on 'Hamlet'. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are minor characters in Shakespeare's iconic tragedy, but take centre stage in this monotonous production. It's an ambitious project for an American high school to tackle – bringing so word-conscious a play (they miss most of the wordplay, in fact) to a British audience – and they don't really succeed in bringing it to life. Dedicated acting doesn't make up for clumsy staging, nor for lines gabbled at speed in order to keep the play within its advertised running time. Undeniably rushed, by a cast who don't appear to understand the majority of what they're saying.
tw rating: 2/5
On the positive side: Scottish crime-writer Ian Rankin (creator of Rebus) spoke to me in the queue outside, and somehow sat through the whole thing with his family.
On the negative side: after posting this review, I wondered if two stars were too generous.
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