Review: Space Hamlet, Cockpit Theatre ★★★★

The premise of Space Hamlet, Shakespeare’s classic story set in a glam rock version of a space-bound future, promised to deliver either a shambles or a sensation. Luckily for London audiences, Space Hamlet, now playing at the Cockpit theatre is a celestial sci-fi smash.

As I left the theatre, a woman behind me said, “I never thought something called Space Hamlet would leave me crying.” This is the true strength of the piece: it is at once feverishly funny and able to deliver pathos and deep emotion.

There is sufficient light and dark throughout for the sci-fi and humorous sides to keep their potency. It is quite a skill to shift from some deeply silly, yet appealing, rhymes such as daddy, laddy, saddy, baddy to more tender scenes. Even more clever to invoke sentiments other than laughter while dressed in Viking horns or battered pirate-style leathers.

Hamlet (Nic Gordon) expresses his teenage angst as he finds his way without his father: he has never left the rock he lives on and has had no sword lessons since Sunday school. He is ill-prepared for his inheritance, and Gordon plays him with a real feeling of being lost.

Shem Jacobs was a stand-out in both their many ensemble roles and as the father, King Ham. They played Ham with a nobly imperial air but also a truly heartbroken sense of betrayal. Gertrude (Lauren Bryant) had a regal bearing of her own as she navigated her loyalties between new husband and son. She had some great lyrics, including the play on words “Don’t lose your head”, advice she was giving to her son both literally and metaphorically.

The costumes (Dan Smith and Jo Myers) combined space, futuristic, glam rock and Viking themes. The Cockpit is an intimate theatre and it was a treat to see all the embellishments up close.

The puppetry (Lottie Johnson and April Nash, puppetry directors) was skilful, with a wide range of puppets and techniques. Some were purely humorous whereas some of the battle-scene puppetry was intensely moving. Who could have imagined the death of a green googly-eyed puppet could be so stirring?

The set and graphics (Dan Sturman) worked together effectively to establish location, enhanced by some ethereal lighting (Matt Cross). An animation of a futuristic Viking longship was especially successful. As with the costumes, the meticulous care taken added to the pleasure. Who could fail to enjoy the betting choices offered in the Denmark 3 market, with choices including that the gladiators would be beheaded in five minutes or dead in just one?

There were a couple of small sound issues when the music was slightly too loud for speech to be heard. A notable example was when Hamlet was at his father’s grave and, again, when Fortinbras was speaking.

Overall though, this production leans completely into the world it has created and finds the poignancy within the comedy. It may not be the most faithful rendition of Hamlet, but it must surely be one of the most distinctive, with enough verve to send us all off to feast in Valhalla.

[Thank you to Chloe Nelkin for gifted tickets for an honest review}.