fuel
theatre
A COMIC TOUR DE FORCE
Celebrated actor Michael Hurst joins forces with two of
NZ’s freshest young writers in this innovative new solo
work, set in the Shakespearean afterlife. In Frequently
Asked Questions an insomniac called Hamlet returns
home to discover a script documenting the end of his
life, and begins some serious late-night soul-searching.
What a piece of work is a man? To be or not to be?
Why am I wearing tights? These are his FAQs. And
Hamlet cannot sleep until he knows.
In his debut solo performance, Hurst melds his mastery
of the Shakespearean form with an irreverent comic
edge, darting back and forward between classical
poetry and self-effacing banter with startling sleight of
hand. One moment Hamlet questions his existence over
a fried egg sandwich; the next he is in conversation
with himself as Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear. Each
invade his room and relive their own death scenes in
front of him. All this builds to an unforgettable battle
sequence in which Hurst unleashes 30 years of stage
combat experience… on himself.
frequently asked
questions
Presented by : Royale Product ions
Performer : Michael Hurst
Writers : Michael Hurst, Natal ie Medlock and Dan Musgrove
Director : Natal ie Medlock
Associate Director : Dan Musgrove
Producers : Beth Al len and Charl ie McDermott
Designer : John Verryt
Lighting Designer : Sean Lynch
Stunt Design : Glen Levy
Costume Design : Lesley Burkes-Harding
Generously supported by Sue Sanders and Beth Sundberg
Contains language that may offend.
Venue
Playhouse Theatre
Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts
Date
Thursday 5 July - 7.30pm
Friday 6 July - 7.30pm
Saturday 7 July - 7.30pm
$35
Tickets
$25
Student Concession
$25
Senior Concession
70 minutes
“Hurst plays all the roles with relish, sending up styles of Shakespearean acting, poking fun at the language, and
providing some gloriously funny physical comedy when Hamlet and Macbeth fight each other. But miracuously he can
also turn the comedy on a sixpence and change the mood almost without one being aware that he is doing so as he
releases the emotional power of the poetry in some of the most famous speeches in the English language”.
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* Booking fees apply