Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera will reprise his role as the Danish prince in a modern-dress production of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Directed by Robert Hastie, the show premieres on April 26 and runs through May 23. The production, originally staged at London's National Theatre in 2025, features a fresh take on the classic play.
Director Robert Hastie, deputy artistic director at the National Theatre, describes Abeysekera's Hamlet as unlike previous interpretations. 'He doesn’t look like any of the Hamlets we’ve had before, and that’s not just about his ethnicity,' Hastie said. He praised the actor's playful, direct and sympathetic connection with audiences, which captivated nearly 1,000 viewers in London. Costume and stage designer Ben Stones gives the production a sleek modern look, including the prince sporting an earring and swigging Dom Pérignon during a key scene with courtiers about the ghost of the late king. This marks one of over 20 Hamlet productions at BAM since 1861, located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Abeysekera, 40, broke out as Pi Patel in the 2022 West End and Broadway run of Life of Pi, earning a Theatre World Award. Speaking ahead of rehearsals amid his schedule for The Jungle Book, he recalled Hastie offering him the role over coffee by the Thames. 'I’m hugely grateful for that,' Abeysekera said of the belief shown by Hastie and National artistic director Indhu Rubasingham. He anticipates a different energy from New York audiences, emphasizing direct engagement during soliloquies. Abeysekera noted the role's physical and emotional demands, maintaining fitness through calisthenics, running and reciting Buddhist sutras for mental calm. On belonging, he expressed frustration with UK visa rules despite nearly 20 years there, though he feels welcomed in British theater.
