ICARUS Theatre Collective are touring with their "sexy, bloody and fast-paced" production of Hamlet including dates at Kings Theatre, Southsea this week ( Saturday April 1- Tuesday April 4).

This gripping ensemble reimagining embraces Shakespeare’s brutality and amplifies the exhilaration and violence of one of the greatest plays ever written.

Here director Max Lewendel tells us all about the play...

1. Tell us about Hamlet – what makes this production Shakespeare for the Game of Thrones generation?

This is Hamlet like you’ve never seen it before. Fast-paced, action-packed and bloody – it’s exciting for all audiences, whether familiar with Shakespeare or not. Icarus specialises in telling Shakespeare tales in a riveting, visual style, bringing newcomers to the bard along a rollercoaster journey. This is not a stuffy, academic production but a vibrant telling of magnificent poetry.

2. What do you hope the audience will take away from the production?

This is a story of a son avenging his father’s murder - we tell it in such a way that all will understand. I started by looking at Hamlet’s mental state and explore the demons he’d be dealing with after the death of his father and what he sees as a betrayal by his mother. I hope audiences really see his inner struggles. Without giving too much away - we’ve adapted the script to really highlight the voices in the young prince’s head. Not to mention that this is a dynamic production with some brilliant fight and sword choreography - an aspect of our productions that we’ve been praised for greatly in the past - so we hope audiences will be on the edge of their seats!

3. How did the show come about?

I didn’t want to do a Hamlet that was dry and dusty but as I started to direct other Shakespeare plays, I thought well, I should actually read the greatest play ever written, see what all the fuss is about. The words came alive; suddenly they all made sense! The poetry was no longer dry, but alive and perfectly clear. I explored the physiological state of Hamlet and where he’s be at each stage of the play - then read it again. And again. I began adapting the text for an ensemble who at times reflect the voices in his head. Then I spoke to a venue who we know would be interested and they mentioned that this fits really well into world of Game of Thrones - a bloody, dynamic production which we hope sheds a different light on the words.

4 Did you always want to be a theatre director? How did you get into it?

When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do and studied acting on a lark. Six months in I was serendipitously put in charge of coaching actors in a piece of new writing at my drama school. I fell in love with the text, and working with actors on their interpretation. I was hooked and knew for the first time what I wanted to do. Then I just started experimenting

5 What would you say to encourage people to buy a ticket?

This is Hamlet like you’ve never seen it before. You’ll be in the safe hands of a company of very skilled performers who will keep you at the edge of your seats.

Hamlet runs at Kings Theatre, Southsea April 1/4 – 11am, 7.30pm

http://kingsportsmouth.co.uk/

Notes Ages 11+ (parental guidance advised)

Twitter @IcarusTheatre, #IcarusHamlet