In this free interpretation of Hamlet, the stage is taken over by eight actors with Downs syndrome. The performance grows out of their own lives and, in confrontation with Shakespeare’s text, out of the now immortal question: to be or not to be? The question  is highly relevant in an era when effectivity, productivity and rigid standards of normality often determine who is worth consideration. Or who is worth being.

This is a sassy, warm and profoundly existential performance with humor and musical energy. Teatro La Plaza’s Hamlet fluctuates freely between theatre, music, rap and dance. And often breaks the fourth wall in direct contact with audiences. There’s plenty of room for nervousness, tics, stammering and forgetfulness not as mistakes but simply as elements of life and human expression. The result is funny, truly moving and clearly political.

Teatro La Plaza is known for scenic art that is provocative and surprising and that addresses the present moment. The powerful Hamlet they bring to Gothenburg’s Dance and Theatre Festival combines artistic lucidity with openness and accessibility.

Chela De Ferrari is the artistic director of Teatro La Plaza in Lima, where she lets the classics meet today’s world while offering spectators experiences and voices otherwise seldom seen or heard.

Teatro La Plaza, founded in 2003, has, under her leadership, established itself as an important theatre in Peru and an international player that unifies high artistic quality with contemporary perspectives.

The play is performed on spanish with english subtitles. The performance contains stroboscope lightning.

On stage
Octavio Bernaza
Jaime Cruz
Lucas Demarchi
Manuel García
Diana Gutierrez
Cristina León Barandiarán
Ximena Rodríguez
Álvaro Toledo

Artistic team

Dramaturgy and direction
Chela De Ferrari

Assistant direction and dramaturgical consultancy
Claudia Tangoa, Jonathan Oliveros and Luis Alberto León

Voice coaching
Alessandra Rodríguez

Choreography
Mirella Carbone

Visual concept
Lucho Soldevilla

Lighting design
Jesús Reyes

Producer
Siu Jing Apau

Company
Teatro La Plaza

Special thanks to: Clarion Draken.

Meet the director and actors – a conversation about Hamlet
22 August at 18:00

Frida Röhl, director and Artistic Director of Folkteatern, meets Chela De Ferrari, director of Hamlet and Artistic Director of Teatro La Plaza, for a conversation about the performance.

How did the production take shape? What artistic choices and creative processes lie behind it? And how does Teatro La Plaza work in its theatrical creation?

After the performance, the audience is invited to an open discussion featuring the actors from Hamlet. An opportunity to meet, ask questions, and deepen the experience together.