Hastie reinvents hamlet: a clash of cities, a prince reborn
New York isn
’t one city, British theater director Robert Hastie argues—it’s a fractured mosaic of experiences, superimposed upon each other. And that’s precisely how he’s approaching his latest production, a strikingly modern take on Hamlet, premiering at BAM in Fort Greene this April.
A sri lankan prince, a radical vision
Hastie, fresh off ushering in a new cast for his Olivier Award-winning Operation Mincemeat on Broadway, is returning to the stage with a radical reimagining. At its core is Hiran Abeysekera, the 40-year-old Sri Lankan actor who previously captivated audiences as Pi Patel in the West End Life of Pi. Abeysekera’s portrayal, Hastie insists, is “a playful—sometimes confrontational, sometimes threatening, often mischievous—but always direct and sympathetic connection with an audience.”
“He doesn’t look like any of the Hamlets we’ve had before, and that’s not just about his ethnicity,” Hastie explains. “He has this incredible ability to strip away the theatricality and reveal the raw, beating heart of the character.”
Visually, the production is a deliberate departure from tradition, thanks to costume and stage designer Ben Stones. Expect a distinctly contemporary aesthetic – a