Forget the dusty castles and velvet curtains; Ralph Davis is taking the world’s most famous play, Hamlet, to the high seas. Set aboard a sinking ocean liner in 1912, this RSC production, which heads to Norwich Theatre Royal between 10 – 14 Mar, promises a cinematic, high-stakes spectacle that feels more like a disaster epic than a traditional drama.
We caught up with Ralph in rehearsals to talk about his “giddy” reaction to landing the role, his lifelong history with the Bard, and why he’s stripping away the “noise” of the past to play Hamlet like a brand-new character.
What can audiences expect from this particular production of Hamlet?
They can expect something epic and cinematic. We’re doing it on a scale that will be very exciting to watch, but also relatable. The play deals with a deeply human experience – Hamlet has to deal with the fallout of his father being murdered, and everything that spirals from that… So yes, I hope audiences will be both riveted and moved.
Can you tell us a little bit about where the production is set?
It’s set on a sinking ship, which is reminiscent of a particular disaster that happened in 1912. It will be a real spectacle. We’ve got these amazing projections of the sea and storms, and a huge, raked stage. Hamlet is a play that feels big, and putting it right in the middle of the sea on a ship takes the audience to a very exciting place. The setting Rupert Goold, our director, has chosen feels appropriately dangerous, with death and disaster all around, whilst Hamlet is trying to work out what he should do when he’s told that his uncle has killed his father.
Hamlet is probably the most famous acting role in theatre. How did you feel when you got the part?
I found out when I was sitting alone in my flat in Camberwell. It had been a few days since the audition, and I thought I’d given a fairly good account of myself, and I had a good feeling about things. I found I’d got the role, and, to use Hamlet’s words, I was “struck so to the soul”. I couldn’t believe it. I was so giddy and excited.
Partly because I’ve already done quite a lot of Shakespeare, people have always asked me if Hamlet was a role I wanted to play. And I’d always said no, it wasn’t something I was interested in. But I know I was just saying that in case it never happened!
And how are you approaching it?
I’m trying to approach it like any other role. It is different, of course, because it’s so iconic, and there are so many different preconceived ideas about what the part is and what the play is. I’m stripping all of that away, getting rid of all of that noise, and reading it like it is a new play. And trusting my instinct of what I think the role is.
Tell us about your route into acting.
My mum dropped me off at Playbox, a theatre company for young people, in Warwick when I was 18 months old, for some sort of storytelling session. And that place became a second home to me. It was a tremendously professional and exciting environment for a young person to be in, and I just did play after play after play there.
And then I was at the RSC as a child actor. At the age of 10 I was in King John alongside actors like Richard McCabe and Tamsin Greig. I actually played Hamlet at school. That was set on a ship as well, although it was set pre-World War Two, so a bit later than the show we are touring. I think I was probably terrible because I was trying to do my A levels at the same time! I then went straight into RADA from school and have done a lot of Shakespeare there.
It seems that Shakespeare is something that particularly interests you. Is that right?
Yes. I’m very old-fashioned, or I’m influenced by the people I watched growing up. Those actors that I saw on stage would do a lot of Shakespeare until they were in their 40s, and then they’d make the leap to TV. And that’s what I wanted to do. And that’s sort of what I’ve done.
I think my life was changed and shaped by the Shakespeare I saw at the RSC growing up, particularly Michael Boyd’s productions of the History plays. I find Shakespeare easier to do than modern texts sometimes because Shakespeare’s writing is the best there is.
Do you have any particular highlights from the roles you’ve played so far?
I enjoyed playing Benedick in Much Ado. I was 26, which is a young age to be playing that part. But I was leading a company at the Globe. It was shortly after COVID, during which I thought my dream of playing lead roles was perhaps over. Both Benedick and Iago were real tests of my abilities.
And now in rehearsals for Hamlet, I feel – and I know this might sound pretentious – that this part is going to change me. It’s such a challenge. Shakespeare really stretched the actor who played the role originally. Because I think the play meant so much personally to Shakespeare.
What’s so nice about Hamlet is that I haven’t been on stage for about a year, and it’s lovely to be back in a company putting on a play.
As well as acting you also write. Is that something you enjoy?
Yes, I spent all of last year writing. I feel very fulfilled by making something and putting it in front of an audience. At RADA, it was understandably all about acting, but I knew I also wanted to create things.
I co-wrote the BBC show, Film Club. There’s a lot of work in getting something on TV, pitching it is a really tough process. But then you end up making it with all these talented people pulling in the same direction. I really like that feeling. In the future, I’d like to direct as well.
All of that said, I certainly feel fulfilled now working on Hamlet.
Audiences can sometimes be put off by Shakespeare and think it’s not for them. How would you persuade them to come and see this production?
What I’m seeing in the rehearsal room is people speaking Shakespeare’s words, which are words that we use nowadays, but just put in a more poetic and perfect order. People speaking the language like you and I are speaking now. And when actors harness those words and make them real, then I think there’s nothing more thrilling. And there’s no reason for anyone to be scared about the play or feel that they won’t be able to follow the story.
I’m really pleased that we’re taking this show on tour and reaching lots of different parts of the country, and perhaps people who’ve never seen Shakespeare before. I hope they find the experience as exciting as I did when I saw my first Shakespeare. Just don’t be scared of it – Shakespeare’s the best.
You can see Hamlet at Norwich Theatre Royal between 10 – 14 Mar. For more information or to book, please call the Box Office on 01603 630 000 or visit norwichtheatre.org.
