Crowd enjoys Hamlet under the stars in Bloomfield

“This above all: to thine own self be true.”
– William Shakespeare, Hamlet

More than 150 residents and visitors watched the Driftwood Theatre Company perform ‘Hamlet’ on an open-air theatre-in-the-round stage at the Millpond Park.

Shakespeare’s story of grief and revenge is one of his most popular and is still among his most-performed. The play unfolds the story of Prince Hamlet enacting revenge on his uncle Claudius who murdered his own brother, Hamlet’s father, seized the throne and married his widow.

The not-for-profit theatre group has been providing accessible theatre to communities across the province for the past 20 years. The Bard’s Bus Tour which stopped in Bloomfield was part of ‘Theatre under the Stars. In Places You Love’ pay-what-you-can event.

The next pay-what-you-can event is set for Sunday, Aug. 30 when The Bicycle Opera rolls into Bloomfield. The group of young professional artists dedicated to bringing high-quality, accessible opera to communities across Ontario travels exclusively by bicycle! They perform only in English. The 2015 show, called Shadow Box, is eight scenes with one vision – exploring our mind’s relationship to memory: what we treasure dearly and what haunts us in turn. In addition, the Bicycle Opera Project will be present its first commissioned work: Ride of the Bicycle Bells by Christopher Thornborrow.  The show is at the Baxter Arts Centre. Doors open at 7pm with the performance starting at 7:30 pm.  Pay What You Can admission (suggested $20/person). Seating is limited.

Hamlet photography by David Spowart.

Paolo Santalucia and Nehassaiu deGannes play Hamlet and Mom, Gertrude (also Francisco and Reynaldo)

Paolo-Santalucia, as Hamlet

Paolo Santalucia and Jon-de Leon, who played Claudius and the Ghost.

Stephen Burley and Richard Allan Campbell were the gravediggers. Burley was also Marcellus, Voltemand and Guildenstern and Campbell also played Polonius and Fortinbras.

Paolo Santalucia, Hamlet, and Sarah-Finn as Horatio.