Hamlette

Imagine if you will that "Hamlet" was not "Hamlet" at all, but "Hamlette" - a woman!

This play is a twisty-turny interpretation of the classic Danish tale. Why spend four hours telling the story when five actors can get the job done in thirty minutes?

Great for competitions. Elsinore has never been this funny!

Comedy Classical Adaptation Shakespeare Student Directors

Average Producer Rating:

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

Running Time

About 30 minutes

Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes

Cast

5 Characters

1 M1 F3 Any Gender, Expandable to 13

Set

Simple Set

Length

20 pages

Production Tips

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Free Excerpt

Classroom Study Guide

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Performance Royalty Fees

Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

5 Characters

1 M, 1 F, 3 Any Gender, Expandable to 13

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character - with the exception of HAMLETTE - and modify pronouns accordingly.

Actor 1

HOST, QUEEN/KING, FRANCISCO, REFEREE [A] 9, 24, 4, 1 lines

Actor 2

HORATIO, 2nd PLAYER [A] 29, 3 lines

Actor 3

GHOST, POLONIUS [M] 12, 16 lines

Actor 4

BERNARDO, LAERTES, OPHELIA, PLAYER [A] 6, 11, 6, 5 lines

Actor 5

HAMLETTE [F] 45 lines

Praise for Hamlette

Maggie Bell

Cedar Valley Middle School

This play was by far the best experience I’ve ever had working on one-act so far.

Simon McAllister

Groves Academy

This is a great play. It checks many of the boxes required for a high school, one-act play competition. You can keep it simple or add sets and costumes.

Fred Forester

Trinity of Fairview Academy

The mix of Shakespeare’s language and modern English was a great introduction to Shakespeare. The students really enjoyed exploring how language changes over time, and the audience loved the balance of comedy and tragedy. Theatrefolk has been such a positive part of our brand new program.