"Bard behind Bars" sets Shakespeare's play in Liverpool prison

West London residents are playing starring roles in Riverside Studios' new production of Hamlet, dubbed the Bard behind Bars as it recreates Shakespeare's story as "and unstoppable and violent" modern thriller set in Her Majesty's Prison Liverpool.

Hamlet himself, Adam Lawrence, lives in Chiswick and has just finished filming the new series of Peaky Blinders for the BBC, alongside Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and Helen McCrory.

Polonius, Anthony Kernan, is a resident of Shepherd's Bush, who grew up in Chelsea and attended the London Oratory school in Fulham.

Both the play's Bernardo, Jack Greenlees and Assistant Director Lily Alyss trained at the Drama Studio London in Ealing while designer Anna Reid grew up in West London, went to school in Notting Hill and Ealing and now lives in Chiswick.

Hamlet, the penultimate theatrical production, at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios before the venue closes for a planned two-year refurbishment, is produced by Hiraeth Artistic Productions.

The play is described by Riverside Studios as "a visceral and unflinching exploration of isolation, paranoia and revenge".

Hiraeth Artistic Productions is an independent production company, dedicated to creating exciting and stylistically innovative theatre in and around London.

Officially founded in 2012 by Scottish born Artistic Director Zoé Ford, the company gained its Welsh name through an admiration of the great actor Richard Burton. He claimed that he was compelled by this feeling of ‘hiraeth’ to perform and create – it was the root and core of his inspiration.

For the young, female led theatre company, who had great success with their first show - Titus Andronicus set in 1980s extremist skinhead culture - Hamlet is the biggest production to date.

The female lead is Jessica White, playing Ophelia,who is one of the country's leading motion capture artists, and an expert in stage combat. Her Ophelia, a nurse at the prison, is not a passive victim but a strong empowered woman able to hold her own in the predominately male environment of HMP Liverpool.

Hamlet, which runs from two hours and ten minutes is suitable for ages 14+ is on at Riverside Studios in Crisp Road until June 22. To buy tickets, call the box office on 020 8237 1111 or book online.

May 28, 2014