ONE of Shakespeare's most famous characters faced his foes in the wrestling ring last night.
Wrestling Shakespeare, by North-East theatre company Site Specified, was on stage in the Bede Theatre, Ryhope Road, as part of the University of Sunderland's Concerts on Campus season.
Sean Kenney, as Hulk Hamlet, took on all-comers in a play that combined Shakespeare's tragedy with the glitz and glamour of WWF-style American wrestling.
Anton Hecht, the play's writer and director, said: "Behind every modern text is an older text. Soap operas draw on Shakespeare every day. Dynasty is essentially Macbeth.
"Wrestling in this context is a piece of theatre, unlike other sports. In ancient Greece, sport and theatre were combined. At the Olympics, four plays would compete and were even awarded medals.
"Even the wrestling commentators have their roots in the Greek chorus from drama.
"Combining the wrestling with Hamlet was an idea to get younger people interested in Shakespeare, while exploring these links at the same time."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article