Review: Hamlet The Clown Prince

Written-directed by Rajat Kapoor, the promos said, so I went to watch it expecting something cerebral, sophisticated and well-acted.

The play was not just that but more. Rip-roaringly funny, with a very inventive script and top-class acting.

The language listed for the play on the Rangashankara schedule was the odd "English and Gibberish". The play started off with a joker standing under a spotlight, speaking a peculiar tongue – a mix of French, English, and literally gibberish. It was difficult at first to make out what he was saying, and I was waiting for him to switch to English. The switch didn’t happen. More characters joined in, all speaking the same tongue. What did happen was that this weird, comical language began to make sense.

The idea of the play was to have jokers perform Hamlet. It was hilarious. The best moments came from unexpected references to contemporary culture – the Shakespearean story gets weaved in with Lion King, horoscope-matching, Michael Jackson, chick lit…

Knowing Hamlet is not needed to enjoy the performance. In fact, there’s a funny moment within this play when a joker teases someone in the audience for not knowing Hamlet’s story. (I must warn you that some of the gags may not be very comfortable for the thin-skinned. If you take offence easily, take a seat far away from the first two rows!)

Rajat Kapoor was sitting in the third row, sporting a beard and looking somehow tired. He didn’t go on stage to introduce the brilliant cast. That’s the only thing he gets minus marks for.

An amazing experience overall. If "Hamlet The Clown Prince" plays anywhere near you, don’t miss it.