In this 75 minute drama we see the story of a family dealing with loss, generational trauma and egos getting in the way of emotion. The Elder family have lost their husband and father whilst journeying to the Elsinore Shakespeare Festival where esteemed actor Henry Elder is set to perform his one man Hamlet before his untimely demise. Upon his wishes the family continue on their journey to the festival and following a call from the festivals artistic director, the question is posed if they will perform the piece instead. This plot has all the points to make a great play but sadly it hasn’t quite come to fruition on stage.

Played by a real family; Susanna Hamnett, Joshua MacGregor and Lily MacGregor there is clear chemistry between them all. Susanna is the alcoholic mother who’s only motivation here is to finally play the role of Gertrude and shows little care or regard for the feelings of her grieving children. Joshua as Henry Jr. is a classic young man trying to live up to his fathers expectations and prove that he can do better than his father at something. Lily as younger sister Olivia seems the most hurt by the actions of her parents and also the most ignored in their stories. This play feels a little like a chance for the actors to perform Hamlet rather than an opportunity to explore a family dynamic and the highs and lows of grief and the effects that can have on people.

In the beginning of the piece, we learn a little about the characters, the troubles they’re having and their dynamics but most of the play is a ‘potted’ version of Hamlet, which if I wanted to see Hamlet, I would find a performance and see the play in it’s entirety. However, what we get here is a disjointed, slow and uninteresting version of the classic story. I would have liked to have seen less of the Shakespeare and more focus on the people telling the story, because by the time we come to the end and they are again exploring their feelings and motivations, the emotional impact is lost as we have not learnt enough about these people to feel any kind of connection to them.

There are some pockets of beauty within the piece, in particular Lily MacGregor as Olivia stands out, with great emotional intelligence and range she brings the piece alive again just when it begins to feel like ‘too much’ Shakespeare which brings new life into the piece for the last 10 minutes or so.

With more focus on the characters and less on the Hamlet this could be a really thought-provoking piece but currently it falls short of creating any kind of emotional connection or lasting impact on the audience.

This show was reviewed on the 25th April 2025 at Riverside Studios, London where it runs until the 3rd May 2025.  Tickets available here: Hotel Elsinore | Riverside Studios

Review written by Rosie Browne

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