Hamlet and Ophelia

Toneelschuur Producties x ITA / Mateusz Staniak

Mateusz Staniak is a young Polish director who lives and works in Amsterdam. He attended the directing course at the Academy of Theatre and Dance there. Staniak is fascinated by the possibility of reinventing reality through theatre. Hamlet and Ophelia is created on the basis of improvisations, Heiner Müller's The Hamletmachine and television interviews with Sid and Nancy.

Location de Schuur, Haarlem
Run time tba
Genre Theater
Language Dutch

Please note This performance deals with themes of violence, addiction and suicide.

Hamlet en Ophelia

In the raw musical performance Hamlet and Ophelia, the punk rock legends, lovers and junkies Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen are cast as Hamlet and Ophelia in an experimental film. Shooting this cult film becomes increasingly difficult as the line between reality, film set and drug trip blurs. Are Sid and Nancy visionaries? Completely mad? Or are they just trying to make money from their self-created tragic punk rock image?

After the success of previous collaborations, Toneelschuur Productions and ITA are once again joining forces for a co-production in the context of the joint talent development process. Hamlet and Ophelia can be seen exclusively in de Schuur in Haarlem from the end of May 2023.
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Ivo van Hove about Mateusz Staniak:
'I have gotten to know Mateusz as a unique personality. He is not an average director, but someone who dares to take risks. He always succeeds in making surprising text choices and translating them to the stage from a very personal imagination. In our conversations, I saw an inspired, driven, searching director who was also a good listener. I look forward to seeing how he continues to develop without folding to what others want from him.'

Mateusz Staniak about Hamlet en Ophelia

Sid Vicious was said to be an idiot and Hamlet is often labeled as crazy. What fascinates me is how a truth arises. Did Sid kill Nancy in their room at the Chelsea Hotel? Was it Sid's mother who gave him a fatal overdose? And how does the young death of cult heroes help to maintain their image? What truth do we construct of ourselves? If we tell the same story long enough, will it become our reality? Sid's heroin addiction is criticised, but is it different from drug use today? Every generation pursues pleasure. When does hedonism turn into self-destruction? If we can't live in reality, where are we going to flee to?

CREDITS

coproduction Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
director Mateusz Staniak
text De Hamletmachine (Heiner Müller) and other texts
performance Laura de Geest, Pepijn Korfage, Robin Zaza Launspach, Arne Luiting
dramaturgy Debbie Oskam
scenography Zaza Dupont
music and sound design George Dhauw
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light design Mateusz Staniak, Zaza Dupont
costumes Wojciech Dziedzic
costume studio Leanne Vandenbussche
cap and make-up Demi van Rooijen
costume work Hendrik Nieuwerf
video Jordi Wolswijk