Robert Sturua’s Georgian Shakespearian (Hamlet) Part V

Robert Sturua returned to “Hamlet” several times. He carried out the fi rst performance on the stage of “Riverside studios” by Alan Rickman’s playing of main role in 1992. Later, Konstantin Raikin was performing the role of “Hamlet” in the theater of “Satirikon”, Moscow, 1998. The premiere of “Hamlet” took place at the Rustaveli theatre in 2002. This performance stayed in the repertoire of the theatre for a long time, though the director edited it several times. Actors of Polonius and Claudius roles had been changed too. In this case, I consider the “Hamlet” staged in the Rustaveli Theatre. What else, did Robert Sturua want to say by staging “Hamlet” in XXI century, who is Hamlet today, what he was given by fate to solve? Robert Sturua together with Lily Popkhadze have done the new translation, which is devoid of any pathetic or top-risen style. Shakespeare’s characters speak in modern language. Ruthless and brutal side of the present is more sharply felt in this new translation. Fantasies characteristic for the theatre language of Robert Sturua is quite courageous, but at the same time he remains faithful to Shakespeare’s text. Characteristic drama and irony for him are coexisting in this play side by side. Classic and show style of staging replace one another. The characters of play are becoming the participants of tragic farce. Shakespearologies assert that the Character of Hamlet with his vision mostly resembles to Shakespeare himself. Hamlet with the tragic vision of world,
philosophical perception of being and understanding the continuous or inevitable union of past and future is quite close and interesting character for Robert Sturua.
Co-existence of drama and irony is characteristic for Robert Sturua’s direction in “Hamlet”. Classical and farce style of staging alternate with each other. Heroes of the play become the participants of tragic farce in the performance.
Robert Sturua showed us erased bound between the reality and conditionality in “Hamlet”. These are parallel layers, which are interlaced into each other. Imperceptible moving from one condition and dimension into the second one is done by the use of minimal accents.
The stage isn’t unloaded with decoration in “Hamlet” (Painter M. Shvelidze). Scenography and costumes don’t defi ne the time.
To present whole and part, fragment and unity is characteristic for the theatre language of Robert Sturua. “Hamlet”, its scenography, musical design, composition and structure is constructed exactly by this method. By this he makes visible everything, what he says.
Co-existence of tragedy and comedy is characteristic for the theatre language of Robert Sturua, so it is in “Hamlet” too.
Zaza Papuashvili’s Hamlet isn’t monolithic fi gure by the interpretation of Robert Sturua. His Hamlet is contradictory as with his inner nature, as outward appearance also. Sometimes he is a clown imbued with irony and cynicism, foolish, clever, strict, frank and tender, fierce or quick-tempered and sometimes romantic. His actions and emotional condition in different situation acquires him different effect. As if, Zaza Papuashvili’s Hamlet is adapted to his fate. He doesn’t ask why he was given a mission of packing a broken link. It is unavoidable fact in his perception so he gets is and says: “link of the time is broken and damned fate made me pack it”.
In the meeting episode of Hamlet and his father’s shadow, director underlines spiritual unity of father and son by plastic solution..
Robert Sturua also underlined the theme of striving towards power together with other issues in “Hamlet”. This time, Claudius kills his brother for gaining the authority.
It is remarkable that non of the important monologues in ‘Hamlet’ are transferred verbally. The soul exciting episode is followed by ability of breath out, which is characteristic for the theatre language of Robert Sturua. Director used the merge of the comic elements with the tragic events in “Hamlet”.
Genre division doesn’t happen in “Hamlet”. We percept everything simultaneously–tragedy, psychological drama, farce comedy and etc.