Riz Ahmed has collaborated once again with director Aneil Karia to create a new adaptation of Hamlet. This version is set in present-day London but retains Shakespeare’s original text. For Ahmed, the play feels especially relevant now, as many people are grappling with feelings of powerlessness and manipulation in today’s society.
Multiple Hamlet Interpretations Highlight the Play’s Continued Cultural Resonance
Ahmed shared his role as Hamlet with other contemporary projects exploring the character. Oscar Isaac’s documentary King Hamlet focuses on Isaac’s own approach to the role, while Chloé Zhao’s film Hamnet is scheduled for release later this year. Additionally, Thom Yorke is presenting an interpretive dance version currently showing in the UK. At the Toronto International Film Festival, Ahmed and Karia discussed the enduring appeal of Hamlet among audiences and artists alike.
Grief as the Central Thread Connecting Hamlet to the Present
Ahmed identified grief as the key element connecting Shakespeare’s play to the current moment. He described Hamlet as not only mourning his father but also lamenting the loss of a world that once seemed just and fair. This sense of shattered illusions mirrors today’s societal upheaval.
“He’s grieving his father, but he’s also grieving the way that things used to be,”
—Riz Ahmed
“He’s grieving the illusion that the world was a fairer place. I think that’s being torn up right in front of our eyes right now, isn’t it?”
—Riz Ahmed
Powerlessness and Gaslighting at the Heart of Hamlet’s Message
Ahmed highlighted how Hamlet’s core struggle resonates with widespread feelings of being powerless and gaslit, accompanied by a reluctant complicity in troubling realities. This emotional core lies at the very center of the story and reflects the uncertainty many are experiencing today.
“And what we’re all feeling is powerless in the face of that, gaslit about the reality of that, and complicit in it. That’s ‘Hamlet,’”
—Riz Ahmed
“That’s what’s the core of the play. That’s what goes to the heart of the present moment that we’re living in right now.”
—Riz Ahmed
Destructive Rage Emerges from Hamlet’s Sense of Powerlessness
The actor suggested that the intense frustration and rage portrayed in Hamlet stem directly from this crushing sensation of helplessness and confusion. Ahmed’s adaptation invites viewers to engage with these emotions as they resonate in the contemporary world.
