Reviews for Allan Clayton’s ‘astounding’ Hamlet in Australia
Allan Clayton has received superb reviews in the title role of Brett Dean’s Hamlet for Opera Australia, a part he first played in the world premiere at Glyndebourne in 2017
‘As the titular Prince of Denmark, Clayton delivers an exceptionally fine performance, which is worth the price of a ticket alone. In fact, it is hard to imagine a better portrayal of the ill-fated Dane in any genre (there’s another opera and several ballets in addition to Shakespeare’s original).
Clayton nails Hamlet’s playfulness and childlike puddle-jumping through which he tries to process his grief, then shocks us with his callousness and ultimately murderous rage.
The physicality and psychological depth of his performance is so astounding that it’s easy to overlook how beautifully he sings. He is one of the finest tenors in the world at the top of his game, and Sydney audiences are privileged to experience his art at such proximity.’
‘His ability to show himself thinking through Hamlet’s dilemmas is the essence of the character, in play or opera.’
‘Clayton has sung the role in all four previous stagings of the work. I saw him when the production was staged at the Adelaide Festival in 2018, and he has quite simply made the role his own. On stage almost all the time, and singing Brett Dean's fiendishly unpredictable intervals as if they were second nature, his performance is a tour de force of remarkable proportions.’
‘Allan Clayton’s Hamlet is very different from most theatrical versions, there is little that is princely or all that perceptive about him – he is a man burdened with a task, angry with most of those about him and lacking in empathy. He is in a dark world of his own making and that is conveyed through Brett Deans oppressive and stressful music.
It conveys something of the internal melancholy of Hamlet and Clayton’s rough tenor makes one aware of his struggles as he flails physically and vocally with his feelings and (in) actions.’
