Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Pictured below, is my signed playbill from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. I had the opportunity to see this play at The Old Vic theatre in London. After the performance, I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Radcliffe and having a conversation with him that I am sure will leave me inspired for a long time. (As a Harry Potter fan, I was proud of myself for not fangirling when we chatted). I really enjoyed the play and thought I could share my thoughts on it.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a play by Tom Stoppard. Stoppard is a playwright and screenwriter that has an impressive collection of works. His works typically delve into complicated topics that really leave an impression. Stoppard is known for grappling with philosophy in his pieces as well as eloquently executing them. When he writes, his words really come to life. Someone once told me I should read his plays and have since admired his work.

The play first premiered in 1966 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in 1967 it was staged at the National Theatre in London. Following its success, the play moved to Broadway where it won best play at the Tony Awards in 1968.

This specific play follows Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor characters from the Shakespeare play Hamlet. It features them backstage during the action of Hamlet and explores an interesting theme of identity. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pass a lot of their time between their Hamlet appearances flipping coins to test luck and playing various word games. Both men are uncertain of their identities and confused about life. Rosencrantz is simpler and anxious. He tends to take on a follower role with Guildenstern being his leader. He asks questions about death and its meaning. In contrast, Guildenstern is curious and constantly contemplating larger, philosophical questions. He questions his inability to remember his past and thinks about the consequences of actions.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a perfect blend of comedy and tragedy. It is categorized as an absurdist existentialist play. In the production I saw, Daniel Radcliffe played Rosencrantz and Joshua McGuire portrayed Guildenstern. Both actors performed superbly and encapsulated their characters beautifully. They executed the contrasting personalities well and had an effortless chemistry. The duo was supported by a great cast and delivered a stunning performance that left me both speechless and thoughtful.  David Haig portrayed the Player, a travelling actor that often-crossed paths with the duo. Haig did a marvelous job in being witty and confident about life’s path and meaning. He provided a lot of great comical moments to the play.

Being able to witness such a rich play was one of the highlights of my time in London. I had not really heard of the play prior to seeing it but I highly recommend reading it if absurdist plays interest you. 

A Review of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

This April while I was studying abroad in London, I had the opportunity to see the newest edition to the Harry Potter franchise: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Showing at the Palace Theatre in Soho, London, this play is a sequel to the original book series by J.K. Rowling. The script is written by Jack Thorne with the concept being a collaboration between J.K Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. The story is split into two separate parts directed by John Tiffany. When I went to the theatre, I saw both parts in one day. Upon exiting the theatre all guests are given a pin with #KeeptheSecrets on it to prevent major spoilers from circulating to those who cannot see the play quite yet. So, keeping my pin in mind I still thought it would be a great show to review considering it will be arriving in NYC for its Broadway debut April 2018.

The play features Harry Potter and his second child, Albus Severus Potter, 19 years after the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It picks up immediately where the epilogue left off and moves onward from there. Jamie Parker played Harry Potter in the performance I saw and he does a tremendous job portraying a now worn out, middle-aged Ministry of Magic employee. Parker embodies the beloved character extraordinarily well and really embraces the tensions of Harry’s life. Albus, was portrayed by Sam Clemmett who did a great job with such a complex character. The two actors had a great chemistry onstage and really bought the difficult father-son relationship to life.

A stellar performance was given by Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy, son of Harry’s childhood nemesis Draco Malfoy. Albus and Scorpius become immediate friends aboard the Hogwarts Express in one of the first scenes of the play. The two friends become involved in all sorts of shenanigans that test the limits of time and bring up issues of the past that continue to haunt Harry and his friends. The play is filled with twists and turns that fans of the original books will never see coming.  Containing a rather large cast, the play sends audience members on quite the journey with a few familiar faces along the way. The story does drag on at some bits towards the beginning of Part 2 and some subplots left me conflicted because they did not seem to be compatible with the Potter universe I remembered.

However, the magic of the technical aspects allowed me to look past these head-scratching scenes. Bringing magic to life is no easy task but the lighting, set and sound design teams excelled. Each design is exquisitely done and does its job of transporting the audience back into the Wizarding World.

The play broke a record at the Olivier Awards receiving 9 total (and deserving) awards. Though it has received a lot of mixed reviews from fans, critics praise the play. Most notably, the production receives the most praise for its actors and technical designs (light, sound, set). Fans have issues with some of the plot points (which I cannot mention more specifically because it would entirely spoil the play). While I agree with a lot of their criticism, I still believe it is a truly wonderful piece of theatre.

Overall, I would highly recommend trying to secure tickets to this production. My one piece of advice would be to take some of the subplots with a grain of salt and just allow yourself to be swept away but the outstanding staging and set designs. I would give it an 8/10.