A modern Hamlet set in western Sydney

A new play is reimagining Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a modern family drama set in western Sydney.

Elizabeth Nicholls, Bernadette Fam, Elsa Cherlin, Carita Gronroos, Adam Golledge, Erin Louise Cotton, Paris Change, Charlotte Day and Sean Foster star in GradCo.Studio's original play Hannah. Pictures: Kierra Thorn

A new play is reimagining Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a modern family drama set in western Sydney.

In Hannah, a young woman is visited by the ghost of her father who pleads with her to seek revenge on his murderer.

Hannah is the latest production from GradCo. Studio, a not-for-profit organisation that creates new theatre productions with graduates from Sydney Theatre School.

Directed by Dale William Morgan, the cast includes actors from Toongabbie, Penrith, Mt Druitt, and The Hills.

Setting the play in western Sydney made immediate sense to Morgan, who wanted to help new audiences understand the classic tale.

Carita Gronroos as Geri and Adam Golledge as Callum.

Erin Louise Cotton has the lead role in Hannah.

“I was always told to write about what I know … and I know western Sydney, I grew up in Penrith,” Morgan said.

“ … So I really wanted to merge Shakespeare, which is probably the greatest stories you’ll ever hear, with what I know.”

GradCo. Studio was formed in 2015 by graduates and has since staged three original works as well as one published production.

“There aren’t a lot of opportunities out there for actors once they graduate and you’re competing with a bunch of already established actors and there’s not a lot of theatre being created … finding those opportunities can be few and far between and even if you do find those opportunities someone else might get the role,” Morgan said.

The idea for Hannah came up at the group’s pitching platform in January, and the team have been working on the script since May.

“The actors work as a collaborative always, we all come together and talk about the play, what we want to do and how we want to shape it,” Morgan said.

“The majority of the cast have helped with the writing.”

Elizabeth Nicholls as Olivia.

Sean Foster as Luke and Charlotte Day as Polly.

Hannah has been written in everyday language — something Morgan hopes will make the classic play more enjoyable and accessible for modern audiences.

“I’d really like the audiences to take away an understanding of Shakespeare … I’d really like people to enjoy Shakespeare as much as I do,” he said.

The show will run from September 4-8 in Erskineville as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival.

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