Keeping Hamlet traditional

Halifax has experienced quite the year for Shakespeare. There've been two Twelfth Nights, two Julius Caesars, a Romeo and Juliet and now, a terrific Hamlet. Acting-wise the cast (a mix of amateur and professional actors) is a bit uneven, but a tour-de-force performance by Gregory Slack as the titular character goes a long way to making this an outstanding production. Slack speaks Shakespearean English as if he grew up hearing it at his mother's knee, and his Hamlet is a lucid and quick-witted young man rather than the grim, depressed character so often seen. There are, in fact, many strong performances in this show. For example, Lauren Messervey proves to be much more than a pretty face as Ophelia and Dilly MacFarlane makes a feast out of the smaller roles of the first player and the gravedigger. And the costumes are especially impressive in their quirky grandeur. Get thee to the Bus Stop!