Ophelia Thinks Harder By Jean Betts and Wm Shakespeare Directed by Ivana Palezevic By Arrangement with Playmarket Performances: 28
October – 7 November 2020
Are you a Shakespeare buff who loves Hamlet? Or are you new to Shakespeare and want an accessible way in? Do you just want to be part of a quirky play full of larger than life characters and outrageous moments of comedy? Maybe you want a chance to challenge some gender politics? If you said ‘yea’ to any of these, read on. THE PLAY Ophelia Thinks Harder is a classic New Zealand text and is frequently performed and studied around the country and overseas. Its messages and questions about the expectations of women still remain to this day and feels timely for the 2020 season. The play offers a wonderful and strong set of roles for both women and men. There will also be major doubling in this show, so there are no small parts! THE PLOT The once ignored and voiceless ornament for Hamlet, now encounters ignored ghosts, quirky actors, witches wanting the vote, Joan of Arc, a long-suffering maid and a bunch of other well- known characters, who make Ophelia think harder. Come on a roller coaster ride of a different kind. You think you know Hamlet, but this ain’t about him. This time, Ophelia gets the best lines and no one is going to stand in her way. Not even that stupid Virgin Mary up there. Yeah, you! Ophelia Thinks Harder takes our iconic play and puts on a funny, naughty, yet insightful reimagining to shine some light on the women who stand in the background. THE CAST: Ophelia - Aimée Sullivan Maid - Charlie Potter Hamlet - Isham Redford Horatio - Allyn Robins Queen - Lydia Harris Rosencrantz - Annica Lewis Guildenstern - Margot van de Water Polonius - Allan Burne Laertes - Stanford Reynolds Player 4 - Haydn Carter THE CREW: Director - Ivana Palezevic Production Manager - Andrea Wiechern Stage Manager - Rob Scott Intimacy/fight director - Carrie Thiel Set design - Amy Whiterod Wardrobe - Crystal Pulkowski Wardrobe assistant - Alex McLeod Lighting design - Darryn Woods Sound design - Evangelina Telfar Lighting operator - Darryn Woods Sound operator - Andrew Cross Prompt - Sue Haddock and Petra Donnison Set build - Sam Perry Publicity - Gillian Boyes |   |
Past Productions > 2020 Season >