Teatro la Plaza’s resiliant take on Hamlet brings world-class, joyous talent to Aberdeen
Returning to Scotland after a stupendously successful run at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, during the 2024 International Festival, Teatro La Plaza’s take on Hamlet arrives at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen from Thursday 6 to Saturday 8 November 2025, presented in Spanish with English subtitles and running about 1 hour 35 minutes with no interval. Written and directed by Chela De Ferrari, and realised with Jonathan Oliveros, Claudia Tangoa and Luis Alberto León on direction and assistant dramaturgy, the production blends Shakespeare’s text with choreography and personal reflections from the company.
Staging is inexorable. Soliloquies are translated into movement, tableaux operate as punctuation, and the company’s use of space turns introspection into spectacle. Tightly choreographed sequences convert private thought into collective action: a single gesture can read as betrayal, grief or defiance depending on its placement in the choreography. That kinetic grammar makes familiar passages land anew; lines hit with the force of lived conviction because bodies are doing the speaking as much as voices are.
This is a physically alive staging that treats movement as part of the storytelling: soliloquies are often translated into gestures and tableaux, while carefully timed group sequences give the piece a steady forward pulse. The result is an energetic, tightly focused evening where the actors’ bodies and voices share the work of meaning-making. Minimal scenic detail keeps the eye on the performers and the choreography, and the compact running time keeps the pace direct and engaging.
The company — Octavio Bernaza, Jaime Cruz, Lucas Demarchi, Manuel Garcia, Diana Gutierrez, Cristina Leon Barandiaran, Ximena Rodriguez and Alvaro Toledo — bring warmth, humour and clear ensemble instincts to the performance. The mix of playful moments and quieter feeling scenes means the production balances lightness and seriousness without overstaying either. Direction and dramaturgical support sharpen the shape of the piece so scenes move cleanly from one register to the next.
Performances run across the three days in Aberdeen at His Majesty’s Theatre, from November 6th – 8th. The show’s international tour history, including stops in Melbourne, New York and Seoul add a sense of scale to this concise staging, but the production itself feels immediate and local: a production that asks you to watch how familiar lines land anew when combined with movement and personal testimony.
If you’re curious to see a different kind of Hamlet that leans into choreography and ensemble storytelling, this staging offers a brisk, theatrical ride. Book through the Aberdeen Performing Arts box office or online via the venue’s listings to check exact performance times and ticket availability.
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Review by Dominic Corr – contact@corrblimey.uk
Editor for Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, The Wee Review and Edinburgh Guide. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic’s Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
