Hamlet’s famous question, “to be or not to be”, is at the heart of this deconstruction of Shakespeare’s play by a troupe of actors with Down syndrome.

Premiering in Lima in 2019, Teatro La Plaza’s bold, thought-provoking and playful production is currently touring the world, including Melbourne as part of the RISING festival.

This Hamlet is written and directed by the Peruvian company’s founder, Chela De Ferrari, in collaboration with the eight actors: Octavio Bernaza, Jaime Cruz, Lucas Demarchi, Manuel García, Diana Gutierrez, Cristina León Barandiarán, Ximena Rodríguez and Álvaro Toledo.

The 95-minute performance is presented in a simple workshop setting, backed by a large screen for projections. That includes English surtitles of the mostly Spanish dialogue.

Teatro La Plaza’s Hamlet. Photo supplied

It’s not so much a performance of Hamlet as loose interpretations of several scenes, incorporating the actors’ lived experience. They each play the Dane at various points, revealing connections between themselves and Shakespeare’s outsider who is considered “mad” by society.

The key scene is Hamlet’s famous soliloquy. Here it becomes a meta-theatrical exploration of the acting process, referencing a projection of Laurence Olivier’s Oscar-winning performance. There’s also a wonderfully surprising video...