The Last Hamlet review at Sadler’s Wells East: Ben Duke turns Shakespeare inside out with cuddly toys

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According to The Guardian, the clever, witty, and wholly unpredictable new show The Last Hamlet, directed and performed by Ben Duke, has opened at Sadler’s Wells East in London. Taking big liberties with Shakespeare's story, Duke douses the classic text in contemporary references, surreal swerves, and witty one-liners. Due to budget constraints, the onstage alter ego of Hamlet replaces other actors with cuddly toys, pulling a giant fluffy goose to play his mother Gertrude and a snake to play his uncle Claudius out of a cardboard box. Dancers Miguel Altunaga and Hannah Shepherd—with Shepherd praised for her straight-talking portrayal of Ophelia—alongside singer-songwriter Anna B Savage, help burrow further into emotional and philosophical territory through dance, music, and rich detail.