Theatre review: Ophelia is Also Dead, theSpace @ Niddry Street, Edinburgh
This play by Aliya Gilmore marries an interesting idea to a wonderful lead performer in Fiona Monk, although an appreciation of its finer points may come down to whether or not you believe Shakespeare should have sorted out the gender balance of his work.
Ophelia is Also Dead, theSpace @ Niddry Street, Edinburgh * *
It reinvents Ophelia, the potential wife of Hamlet, as a lead character attempting to force her way to the fore and atone for her ‘throwaway’ death. Yet the ensemble work is over-busy and seems designed to give everyone something to do, while the apparent fusion of character and imagined performer in one person – with contemporary dialogue and references slipped in and out of, including a bizarre appearance by Morrissey – is confusing.
Until 24 August
David Pollock