The Hamlet Voyage by Rex Obano [Bristol]
16/17 July 2022

Bristol Harbour Festival

The Matthew, Cumberland Basin, Bristol - photo by Nick Greville
The Matthew, Cumberland Basin, Bristol – photo by Nick Greville

Directed by: Ben Prusiner
Presented by: Re: Verse Theatre

Hamlet was performed in 1607 in Sierra Leone. We want to know why.

The Hamlet Voyage is a new play about the first record of Shakespeare being performed outside Europe: a production of Hamlet, acted by sailors in 1607 for West African dignitaries, during the first English voyage to reach Mughal India.

Join us for a theatrical critique of the very beginnings of British colonial ambitions. Drawing on classical performance across three continents — from Shakespeare & sea shanties to West African storytelling & drumming to South Asian music & puppetry — we will examine this cross-cultural encounter that took place before England became deeply involved in the Atlantic slave trade, before the age of British imperialism, and before Shakespeare became a global name.

For more information visit www.re-versetheatre.com. 

The Matthew, Cumberland Basin, Bristol - photo by Nick Greville
The Matthew, Cumberland Basin, Bristol – photo by Nick Greville
NEED TO KNOW: The Hamlet Voyage by Rex Obano is Bristol Harbour Festival on 16/17 July 2022 | Time: 1pm | This show is suitable for audiences 13+. | Trigger warnings: scenes of violence, racist language, references to suicide, sexual violence & animal cruelty. A post-show discussion will take place following the Saturday matinee