Hamlet (solo)
Raoul Bhaneja plays seventeen parts in this two-hour production of Hamlet, and it may be the best production of Shakespeare you have ever seen. An actor with over 125 screen credits, Bhaneja developed the show over many years, including a residency at Shakespeare’s Globe, and has performed it over 150 times in 25 different cities since its debut.
Dressed in simple black, Bhaneja takes the stage with full house lights. There is no set. He launches into a superbly articulated recitation of Hamlet that brings the story to life in a way that full casts sometimes cannot. Bhaneja differentiates the characters with subtle accents and posture changes. His physical acting is perfectly calibrated to bring meaning to the Bard’s often tricky phrasing, evoking laughs at times when other productions of Hamlet have fallen flat.
Whether or not you are a fan of Shakespeare, do not miss a chance to see Hamlet (solo). It is an achievement of memory and direction that raises the bar for solo and Shakespearean theater.
"Hamlet (solo)"
Written by William Shakespeare
Performed by Raoul Bhaneja
Directed by Robert Ross Parker
November 3, 2022
The 13th United Solo Festival
October 4- November 20, 2022
Theatre Row
410 West 42nd (btw 9th and 10th Avenue)
STEPHANIE EAGAN is a professional writer based in NJ. A fan of every type of live performance imaginable, from taiko drumming to political performance art, she travels the tri-state area and beyond in search of music, art, theater, and excellent coffee.
I spotted https://cadcasino.net on my second monitor while reading about Bhaneja's two-hour, seventeen-character Hamlet, and it made me wonder how he keeps the through-line clear without any set or costume changes. The full house lights and simple black outfit sound like a bold choice, but it probably forces the audience to rely entirely on his vocal shifts and posture. I've seen solo performances where one actor's character transitions blur together, so the subtlety he brings to each role is exactly what makes this work.