The Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society gave a preview of this summer’s production of Hamlet  at the Grand opening of  Festival Square, next to Telegraph and across from the SAAG.

 Producer Kate Connolly is excited to bring Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy to stages all over the city this summer.

“This is our eleventh year and we were able to do this throughout Covid,” Connolly said before the show.

 While  the local thespians usually concentrate on the comedies, they have explored some of Shakespeare’s tragedies including Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth and the Tempest .

 Connolly is excited to have a full slate of shows and new venues for this year.

“We have 17 shows this summer, which is the most we’ve ever done,” Connolly said, noting most of the July shows will be outside Casa on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m..as part of Upside Downtown. 

They also have three shows at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Galt Gardens, Legacy Park and road trips to the Historic Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod,  Coutts Centre outside Nanton and the Venue in High River.

“We’re very excited to be part of the very popular Upside Downtown concert  series ,” Connolly said.

 University of Lethbridge drama professor Shelley Scott has recruited a talented 13 member cast including community members and University of Lethbridge students and alumni for this year’s production.

“It’s a lot of fun. It‘s Hamlet, so  it’s a tragedy,” enthused assistant director Katrina Holloboff.

“ And our Hamlet (Jesse Thibert) has created a really complex multi-layered character that we’re really proud of,” she said.

 “We‘ve brought out the playful moments , especially Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Ginny  Bergsma and Stephanie Wickham) , who play ukulele in the show,” she continued.

“And there’s a great relationship between Ophelia (Avery Olsen) And her brother Laertes (Cole Fetting),” she said.

 The cast have been rehearsing for this season’s show since mid May.

“It’s going super well,” she said, noting it is a traditional take on Hamlet.

“We‘re not westernizing it or anything like that,” she said, noting the production has been trimmed to approximately an hour and a half.

Hamlet opens, July 7 at Casa. The Lethbridge shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. most Thursday and Friday nights throughout July until closing night in Galt Gardens, Aug. 18. Admission is by donation.

— by Richard Amery, l.A. Beat Editor