Any other director with a long and distinguished track record for producing acclaimed Shakespearean productions would probably bow out with King Lear or The Tempest, studies of powerful men in their twilight years.
Not Terry Hands. No, he decides his swan song is going to be the greatest play ever written, an examination of a tortured young soul desperately trying to figure out his place in the world.
It’s a typical masterstroke from someone who has long been a towering figure not just in Welsh theatre but in the entire British cultural scene.
Having witnessed many of Hands’ takes on the Bard, the most consistent element of them has been their accessibility. He produces Shakespeare for the people, determined to demystify the language to create something that will resonate with everyone, regardless of their previous exposure to the canon.
Never has this approach been more obvious than with his Hamlet. This is a stripped down, no frills interpretation of the great work with a strong emphasis on story, action and character from which you will remember ghosts, sword fighting, poisoned chalices, madness, grave digging and murder.
With this in mind, Hands positively races through the text, refusing to treat its sacred words with the kind of reverence one is used to, so much so that famous speeches and lines almost sneak up on you unawares.
It’s a fascinating approach even though it is not necessarily one which suits my own tastes - with Hamlet, I confess I prefer it when an actor almost over-emphasises the brilliance of the poetry, taking a run-up at it in much the same way a footballer would take a penalty!
What we have here, though, is almost conversational Shakespeare, one of the few times it seems appropriate to repeat the oft-quoted claim that if the Bard was alive today, he would be writing for Coronation Street!
At the heart of it is one of the most subtle and elegantly crafted portrayals of the Prince of Denmark you could ever wish to see. Lee Haven-Jones - who looks unnervingly like Joseph Fiennes from Shakespeare in Love! - quietly erupts into the character and skilfully conveys Hamlet’s gradual transition from sulky depression to vengeful action, rarely resorting to histrionics and specialising more in building from a reserved start to a crescendo of passion.
The unholy alliance of Hamlet’s mother Gertrude and his murderous uncle Claudius is brought vividly to life by the excellent work of Carol Royle and Simon Dutton with Royle especially stunning in the emotionally charged scene in which Hamlet forces Gertrude to confront her new husband’s true nature.
One of this production’s great strengths is the way Hands deals with the sometimes thankless character of Ophelia. We see the girl abused both physically and emotionally by her father Polonius (Roger Delves-Broughton) and by Hamlet and the brilliant performance by Caryl Morgan charts her descent into breakdown at a much earlier stage than is traditional and makes the scenes of her full-blown mania so much more believable but no less heartbreaking.
The slaughter of the final scene takes place against the backdrop of the most detailed and atmospheric setting of the night, contrasting sharply with the starkness of much of the rest of what we have seen.
It may end with the prone and lifeless figure of Hamlet being conveyed off stage by Fortinbras’ troops but for those who appreciate the landmark nature of this presentation in the history of Clwyd Theatr Cymru, it also ends with the euphoric sense of a theatre master signing off at a high point.
And quite frankly, Terry Hands should also be taking his bows at the end of every performance alongside his outstanding cast.
Hamlet can be seen in the Anthony Hopkins Theatre at Clwyd Theatr Cymru until March 7. Call 0845 330 3565 or visit www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk.
