Hamlet

To see or not to see? It might seem a premature question for so early in the review, but bear in mind that Guy Hollands has chosen to open his new production with Hamlet's famous soliloquy.

As the action begins the prince isn't the happiest of souls, it's true, but Shakespeare probably had the right idea about holding off with his existential crisis until a couple of acts later, when he has even fewer reasons to be cheerful.

Andrew Clark is never less than engaging in the title role, but he really has his work cut out in this uninspiring production, in which a handful of well-executed scenes fail to add up to an involving whole.

The main problem, sad to say, is an inexplicably bad performance by John Kazek, who plays both Claudius and the ghost of Hamlet's murdered father. His rushed, oddly stylised delivery renders many lines meaningless if not inaudible, and proves incredibly distracting. It doesn't help that the ghost's appearances are like something from no-budget children's TV. The robot-voiced burns victim would be laughed off a panto stage, so full credit to Clark for managing to appear perturbed by his vengeful cries.

Barrie Hunter gives a far more accomplished turn as Polonius and the gravedigger, confidently handling the play's sudden shift from tragedy to comedy, and Samantha Young's affecting Ophelia is resigned and sadly subdued in her madness.

Jason Southgate's over-complicated set and gaudy costumes only add to the muddle. The text itself contains so many famous phrases that it's easy to be dazzled by its huge influence on everyday language. The further distractions provided by outrageous players' costumes, a redundant water feature and heavy-handed symbolism only serve to further distance the audience from Hamlet's desperate plight.