Brazilian theater presents a female Hamlet
The role of Hamlet is played by female actress Patricia Selonk.
The Armazém Theatre Co of Brazil will present William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark” in Portuguese at the 1862 Theater on September 21 and 22.
Shakespeare’s longest play depicts Hamlet and his quest for revenge against his uncle Claudius who has murdered Hamlet’s father in order to seize the throne and marry Hamlet’s mother.
The lead role is played by female actress Patricia Selonk, who vividly expresses Hamlet’s vulnerability and outbursts.
It is not the first time that a woman has taken on the role of Hamlet.
As early as 1899, Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923), a French stage actress, played Hamlet and was acclaimed as more suited to the role than any man throughout Europe and America.
Bernhardt argued that “a boy of 20 can’t understand the philosophy of Hamlet,” while the older actor “does not look like a boy.”
She added that woman could combine the light carriage of youth with mature thought.
Theater critic Michael Billington once said that “character … matters more than gender.”
The play with a modern twist is directed by the award-winning Paulo De Moraes, who is also the founder of the Armazém Theatre Company.
Established in 1987, the company won one of The Scotsman’s Fringe First Awards with the play “Water Stain” in 2013.
It was also a box office hit in the 2017 Wuzhen Theater Festival.
Performance info
Date: September 21 and 22, 7:30pm
Tickets: 80-480 yuan
Tel: 5862-1862
Venue: 1862 Theater
Address: 1777 Binjiang Ave, Pudong New Area
