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Hamlet around the Globe

33In a press conference, prior to the staging of Hamlet by Shakespeare’s Globe in Dhaka, Tom Lawrence, one of the actors of the company said, “Text and performance by the actors is core acting that Globe is trying to transmit all over the world.”
Tom, the only cast member of Globe has also appeared in both the 2011 and 2012 tours of this production, playing seven different roles, went on to say, “I think Globe’s philosophy as theatre is very much the play as it is. They don’t use huge sets, lights or sound effects. It’s a live experience and live music. Taking all the traditions of Elizabethan theatre, we are actually continuing it.”
Only four members of the company, Tom Lawrence, Phoebe Fildes, Ladi Emeruwa and Keith Bartlett, came before the journalists to take part in a short but lively Q&A session.
Phoebe Fildes sometimes dons the role of Ophelia or Horatio in Hamlet, but the company skipped her in Dhaka and placed Amanda Wilkin in Ophelia’s role. Phoebe admits that she is really excited to be in a country which took part in the London Olympics 2012’s theatre festival with a subtle production of The Tempest.
It seems Shakespeare’s Globe has adopted a policy of selecting an ethnically diverse cast in the world tour and ground behind the action reflects on Ladi Emeruwa’s words. “It is our intention to select coloured actors for the play. When a young actor from Bangladesh sees that Hamlet looks similar to him, this could inspire him to aspire to that role.” Ladi shares his own story, “When I first saw a Nigerian Romeo at Globe my mind came to this conclusion that I am able to be part of this thing.”
Currently in a world tour with Shakespeare’s most powerful and influential tragedy in English literature, the troupe performed Hamlet in Dhaka as the 120th country, and by April 23, 2016 it will complete the world tour marking Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary.
Shakespeare’s Globe visited Singapore before staging a performance in Dhaka on July 15 and the following day, headed back home to take a short sabbatical from this two-years-long journey.