The opening night performance of Hamlet (solo) at the National Arts Centre (NAC) had the audience spellbound.
Opening Nov. 14 and running until Nov. 22 in the NAC’s cozy Studio Theatre, Hamlet (solo) is exactly what it sounds like—William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Hamlet as performed by a single actor. It is Shakespeare at its bare minimum, dependent completely upon the actor’s portrayals of each unique character instead of extravagant sets and costumes.
Featuring Canadian actor Raoul Bhaneja, the play follows the familiar story of the Danish prince, and his quest for revenge for the murder of his father. Bhaneja, dressed all in black (which is typical for the character Hamlet), makes use of the entire stage and even the audience in his performance as each character.
For Bhaneja, who grew up in Ottawa and graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada, there was an extra element of pressure.
“There’s an added dimension here last night, you know, opening here at the NAC,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever done the show for an audience where I probably knew about a hundred people in the audience. That was kind of surreal.”
Memorizing one of Shakespeare’s works is definitely a feat, but after seven years of touring on and off with the show, it’s practically smooth sailing for Bhaneja.
“Stuff that I found hard in the beginning, some of it isn’t as hard anymore. I’ve done it enough that I know I know the lines, I know I can get through it . . . But it’s still kind of a terrifying exercise as an actor,” he said. “I’m still very exhilarated by it and petrified by it.”
The most remarkable aspect of Bhaneja’s performance in Hamlet (solo) is his ability to become a multitude of distinct characters, each with their own personality and motivation. Still, playing so many people can have its challenges.
“Well, it’s weird. In some ways I always had a hang-up about playing the women, of course,” Bhaneja said. “Those are the roles that I probably wouldn’t play in a traditional production.”
However, as the play progresses, it’s evident the most demanding part still lies with interpreting the Prince of Denmark himself.
“But still for me, the role of Hamlet is kind of the greatest challenge, because he’s just such a complex conundrum,” Bhaneja explained.
“I interviewed a bunch of actors when I was starting this process, a bunch of guys who had played Hamlet over the years, and all of them pretty much said they wished they could play the part again. So I consider it a real treat to be able to go back to that role and these parts, as scared as I am of it.”
