Hamlet Mon 22 - Fri 26 March Tue - Fri @ 1pm Mon - Fri (excl. Wed) @ 8pm By William Shakespeare Presented by Second Age Theatre Company Directed by Alan Stanford Cast: Marty Rea, Stephen Brennan, Maeve Fitzgerald, Barbara Brennan and full company. Tickets: €25 / €22 conc. 10% reduction for groups of 10+ (applies to full price tickets only) Book Online Now!

Pre-Show Discussion and Discounted Ticket

Monday 22 March
7.00pm - 7.30pm sharp
Everyman Palace Bar

Have you ever wondered how a modern theatre director approaches the works of Shakespeare?
In conjunction with Lifelong Learning Festival, meet Alan Stanford, director of the new Second Age production of HAMLET and let him share his thoughts on the creative process with you, giving you an insider’s view on the staging of this play. 

Alan is considered one of Ireland’s finest theatre directors, with over 40 years experience in the business.  During his career he has donned many hats, as a writer, director and actor, for which he is still probably most widely known.

Free but ticketed with numbers limited to 50. Call box office on 021 4501673 to reserve your ticket.

Discounted €15 tickets to Monday night's performance available to those attending the talk.
* Applies to new bookings only

"exquisitely realised... this production excels... a masterly achievement" 
Irish Theatre Magazine

Hamlet reaches out to modern audiences in many ways, not least in its ability to surprise with revelations of the origins of many modern day phrases. It is in fact, perhaps the most quoted play of all time, with many memorable quotes including the now ubiquitous “To be or not to be”, but others include “neither a borrower or a lender be”, “brevity is the soul of wit”, “The Lady doth protest too much” and many, many more.


Alan Stanford directs the play for Second Age, which stars the superbly gifted Marty Rea in the title role. Marty was last seen in a Second Age production where he played Gar Private in the 2007 production of Philadelphia, Here I Come! where his performance was lauded by critics as “Superb” [Sunday Independent]. A supporting cast of fifteen includes some of Ireland’s finest actors; Stephen Brennan, Barbara Brennan, Garrett Keogh and John Olohan. Together their credits include The Tudors, Father Ted, Angela’s Ashes, The General and The Van to name but a few.


The play opens on a cold night in the Danish palace of Elsinore. The King of Denmark has been murdered by his brother Claudius, who not only takes his seat on the throne, but marries the newly widowed Queen, Gertrude. A grief stricken and betrayed Prince Hamlet, determines to avenge his father’s death, but is consumed by a crippling inertia and agonises over his quest for revenge. The play vividly charts the course of real and feigned madness, from overwhelming grief to seething rage, it explores the themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.


The play also demonstrates our capacity for selfless love together with our ability to destroy others in the quest for personal contentment. It shows a world in which loving is a dangerous practice, where families are a battleground and feelings are subject to political expediency. A world where our lives are the price we must pay for obedience.

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