NEWS

Tragedy unfolds in park

August 10, 2010 - By Teresa Latchford, York Region Media Group

A tragedy is unfolding at Fairy Lake.

A tale of family, betrayal and madness, complete with the odd sword fight, will fill the outdoor stage at Fairy Lake park as Resurgence Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Hamlet during the 2010 York Shakespeare Festival.

"I was very excited and frightened at the same time when taking on this play," director Lee Wilson said. "It is one of the more challenging Shakespeare plays."

The setting is perfect for the production as the stage opens up into the natural forest of Fairy Lake, giving the audience a different spin on the traditional indoor performance of the play.

"I have never seen an outdoor production of Hamlet, as most companies do comedy," he said. "But I saw the forest and pictured the ghost scene. I just had to do Hamlet."

Mr. Wilson is the co-founder of the theatre company who came home from his role as an assistant director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of The Tempest. He has worked at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, the Grand Theatre in London, ON and the Old Vic in London, England.

The large production called for an experienced cast up for the challenge of preparing a complex performance within a matter of weeks. Hamlet will be played by Graham Abbey, the star of the CBC TV drama The Border. He has played many roles in Stratford productions over the years.

"I never had a great desire to play this character. I have always played kings," he said after providing a sneak peek of a scene.

"It never spoke to me, but it became the story of a father and son and having just lost my father, I thought I could do it."

Performing outdoors feels like going back to the way Shakespeare intended his work to be staged, he said. Although it has been challenging to co-ordinate his filming schedule (he is appearing in a film opposite Sarah Polly) and rehearsal, it has all been worth it.

"There are all these references to the sky and earth in the play and, in this venue, it’s all right here," he said. Joining Mr. Abbey on the stage is an experienced cast including David Ferry, Jane Spence, Jeffrey Wetsch and John Jarvis.

Staff photo by Susie Kockerscheidt - Graham Abbey plays the lead role and Jane Spence is Ophelia in Resurgence Theatre’s production of the William Shakespeare play at Fairy Lake.

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