Since their foundation in 2003 by writer and director Chela De Ferrari, Teatro La Plaza have held fast to a vision of creating performance which is entertaining and provocative, while pushing the boundaries of theatricality and inclusion. Even when taking on canonical figures, De Ferrari displays an awareness of theatre’s potential to change minds and present alternative versions, rupturing the predictability of a frequently produced script.

The Peruvian company has a dynamic vision, imagining theatre as a model community, grounded in a democratic sensibility and engaging in active social conversations concerning disability, inclusion and the power of performance to invigorate wider changes. Yet despite the seriousness of that intention, their productions celebrate the pleasures of human expressiveness and the malleability of drama.

William Shakespeare’s seemingly immovable Hamlet, of course, sits at the heart of the European tradition, to the extent that its most famous speech has become over-familiar, and the protagonist has become a symbol of modern humanity’s existential dread. Teatro La Plaza, however, have taken an experimental and challenging approach to the script, weaving together Shakespeare and personal testimonies. Indeed, by engaging with a cast of people with Down’s syndrome, the company uses this thoroughly mainstream play to delve into the experience of exclusion, giving a voice to those who exist in a world that appears to have been made to deny their needs. 

The script itself is replaced by a ‘free’ retelling of Hamlet, using the famous ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy to reflect on the cast’s lived experiences; a series of confessional monologues disrupt the plot’s easy passage. Pop music and dance routines are juxtaposed with the Bard’s poetry in a production that is relentlessly inquisitive and encompasses multiple dramaturgies to generate an immersive and passionate performance. 

With the eight-person cast speaking their own truths, Hamlet is suddenly thrust into contemporary conversations, making it less of a museum piece or a vehicle for actors’ vanity. Instead, it becomes part of a movement towards a deeper understanding of the ways in which cultures can oppress the marginalised with myths of normality.

Hamlet, Lyceum Theatre, 15 & 16 August, 7.30pm, 17 August, 2.30pm, 7.30pm.