Stage Beyond cast members in rehearsals for Hamlet, Prince of Derry, in the studio at the Millennium Theatre prior to the recent lockdown.
A royal family divided.
The online mob is angry.
Everybody is spying on everybody else.
Something is rotten in the state of Derry, and Hamlet is determined to fix it… between all-night gaming sessions, angry rants on YouTube, and fighting with his girlfriend on Snapchat.
This is HAMLET, PRINCE OF DERRY – a Hamlet for our distracted times.
STAGE BEYOND, Derry’s theatre company for young adults with learning disabilities, bring their unique skillset and perspective to the most famous play in the English language.
Adapted for the company by Colin Murphy and directed by renowned Shakespearian director Conall Morrison, HAMLET, PRINCE OF DERRY was due to open at the weekend.
But because of the Covid-19 crisis, Stage Beyond, which has a cast from Derry and Donegal have had to postpone the stage production until next year.
In the meantime, thanks to the wonders of technology old (the wireless) and new (smartphones), they are moving the production to the radio.
RTÉ Radio One is currently working with the company to record a radio version of HAMLET, PRINCE OF DERRY for broadcast and podcast this summer.
Writer Colin Murphy (A DAY IN MAY, GUARANTEED!, INSIDE THE GPO) said: “This is a version of Hamlet written specifically for the skills of the Stage Beyond actors and set in a very contemporary Derry.
“Because everybody is always on their screens, it has transferred naturally to being recorded by the actors via their smartphones.”
Radio producer Kevin Brew, from RTÉ’s Drama On One, said: “These days we’ve been living through some very hard news and strange weather together.
“But one of the great pleasures of this time indoors, has been the daily listen to the band of players from Stage Beyond.
“They’ve harnessed all the apps they can find to record their lines, with a lot of panache and generosity, so we can bring the radio version of Hamlet, Prince of Derry, to air this summer.”
Stage Beyond cast member Bryan Sutherland (Claudius) discussing the script with director Conall Morrison while rehearsing ‘Hamlet, Prince of Derry’ prior to lockdown
“But getting a chance to record the play for radio has turned out to be a very exciting way of harvesting all the work the actors had done.
“The stage production will ultimately get to dust down its rapiers and fight another day, but in the meantime, it’s been invigorating and exciting working with the actors as they take their first steps into the world of radio production.”
Conall explained how the process is working: “Under the guidance of expert RTE radio producer Kevin Brew, we are ringing the company members individually, rehearsing with them down the line, and then recording them.
“Kevin will then face in to the task of editing the piece together, creating dialogue and group scenes from the separate recordings, adding music and sound effects, building the world of Hamlet, Prince of Derry.
“Initial experiments with the recordings are already sounding hugely promising, and the Stage Beyond cast are all greatly enjoying the process, adapting their acting style to suit the demands of the medium.”
HAMLET, PRINCE OF DERRY by Colin Murphy after William Shakespeare, directed by Conall Morrison, produced by Kevin Brew and with an original score by Si Schroeder, will be broadcast in the Drama On One slot RTE Radio 1 in summer 2020.
The drama will also made available for download at: rte.ie/dramaonone
The 13-strong cast are all from Derry/Strabane and Co Donegal:
Hamlet – Oisin Kelly – outside Letterkenny
Claudius – Bryan Sutherland – Derry
Ophelia – Isobel Sharkey – Derry
Gertrude – Bernie Shiels – Derry
Horatia – Catherine Campbell – Derry
Laertes – Gary Quigley – Letterkenny
The Chorus – Francisca – Carol Glenn – Quigley’s Point
Rosencrantz – Martin O’ Hagan – Derry
Guildenstern – Alan Doherty – Letterkenny
Priest – Bernadette Foley – Strabane
Sniper Wolf – First Gamer – Tarragh Sharma – Convoy
First Gravedigger – Shane Marron – Letterkenny
Second Gravedigger – Frank Nelis – Derry
