With
the Comédie-Française troupe Florence Viala, Denis Podalydès, Guillaume Gallienne, Loïc Corbery, Christophe Montenez, Jean Chevalier, Élissa Alloula
With a small cast, Ivo Van Hove tackles one of the monuments of Western theatre. The Belgian director delves into the tormented subjectivity of the Danish prince to capture the tipping point where youth gives way to extreme violence. Whilst Hamlet initially believes in the power of theatre to restore the truth surrounding his father's murder, revenge ultimately emerges as the only possible outcome.
Cast
translation
Frédéric Boyer
adaptation
Ivo Van Hove, Bart Van den Eynde
dramaturgy
Bart Van den Eynde
set design, lighting designer
Jan Versweyveld
production
Comédie-Française
co-directed by
Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe
Five dates
1. Living in a village of only 1,000 inhabitants and seeing the film Bambi at the age of 10. Bambi is just a cartoon character, not real. But he moved me deeply. I'll never forget the moment when his mother and father die and he has to fend for himself in life. It was my first encounter with the power of art. Art can fire our imagination to the point of becoming more real than reality.
2. Patrice Chéreau is the person who taught me the most as a young director. Even when I had the opportunity, I never dared meet him, because I was stupidly intimidated. Watching his plays, operas and films, I understood the importance of body language, the importance of staging - the entrance of the ghost in his Hamlet is unforgettable, the sudden dance of the two men in Dans la solitude des champs de coton is unforgettable and moved me deeply. The tenderness of Son frère is unforgettable. He's my hero and my Master.
3. Dora van der Groen is another person I admire, a mentor. She was one of Belgium's most famous actresses, our Simone Signoret, and head of the theater department at the Antwerp Conservatory. She asked me to become a teacher when I was just 23.
The school trained a whole new generation of actors, but was also the starting point for collectives such as Tg Stan and many others. She was full of tenderness, but knew how to be demanding. When she came to see our shows, her criticism was always direct, and she didn't waste her time with lies. Her favorite message was that as an artist, an actor or actress must have “very tender skin”, be vulnerable, open to the world and to new experiences. Despite our 30-year difference, we became the best of friends.
4. David Bowie. Yes, I was lucky enough to be chosen by him to direct Lazarus in 2015 in New York, a musical based on his music. Bowie is a galaxy. A hugely influential artist. I had the immense honor of spending a year and a half at his side, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. He was a true collaborator. He never used his authority, which of course I would have accepted. A great lesson for me.
5. The day I met Jan Versweyveld in Brussels. We became friends, then lovers and artistic collaborators, and still are today, 44 years later. Since 1981, we've produced all our shows together. And even after all these years, we haven't known a single dull day.
