By Shari Barrett
Following a triple-extended engagement in New York, a box office record-breaking two-week run in Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and a six-week London run, Tony Award-nominated Eddie Izzard brings Shakespeare’s Hamlet to life in a dynamic new staging of the iconic play, adapted by Mark Izzard and directed by Selina Cadell. This acclaimed solo performance of Hamlet continues through January 31 at The Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood.
The Bard’s well-known tragic tale takes place after The King of Denmark is dead and Prince Hamlet must take revenge on his father’s murder by his father’s own brother, who then takes the crown by marrying Gertrude, the now widowed Queen. Hamlet’s inability to take revenge per the request of his Father’s Ghost initiates a cascade of events that destroys both family and state.
Izzard says, “I have always gravitated towards playing complex and challenging characters and Hamlet is the ultimate. This is a production for everyone, a timeless drama with an accidental hero. Selina, Mark, and I want audiences to see and hear an accessible, touching, tragic, and dramatic Hamlet.”
Izzard first walks out onstage to describe how Hamlet is being presented in much the same way as Shakespeare did, where the current audience replaces the people standing in the pit close to the stage to become part of the action. During the two-hour performance, Izzard portrays men, women, ghosts, scholars, tyrants, courtiers, lovers, fools, and poets, often breaking the fourth wall to have characters speak directly to the audience while sharing their innermost thoughts. All of Shakespeare’s 23 well-known characters, from Hamlet to the Gravedigger, are portrayed so brilliantly that each becomes a recognizable individual thanks to Izzard’s ability to channel both male and female characters to a tee. And while not a comedy, Izzard adds bits of humor by portraying Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as hand puppets while varying their speech patterns to create two distinct men.
The creative team includes Tom Piper (Set Design), Tyler Elich with Anthony Forchielli (Lighting Design), Tom Piper and Libby DaCosta (Costume Stylist), Eliza Thompson (Composer), Didi Hopkins (Movement Director), and J. Allen Suddeth (Fight Director). Hamlet is produced by WestBeth Entertainment, Mick Perrin Worldwide, and John Gore.
Izzard performs Shakespeare’s Hamlet at The Montalbán Theatre, 1615 Vine Street, Los Angeles 90028, with final performances on Thursday, January 29 at 7 p.m., Friday, January 30 at 8 p.m., Saturday, January 31 at 3 p.m. Tickets start at $85 on ticketmaster.com.
The world premiere of Lifeline, written by Robert Axelrod and brilliantly directed by Ken Sawyer, is being presented by The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director, through Sunday, March 1 at 2pm at the Road Theatre in North Hollywood. The action takes place in the aftermath of an unforeseen, life-changing event when Patti (Amy Tolsky), a well-meaning mother, becomes a volunteer at a suicide hotline. Over the course of the intense and emotional training, through laughter and tears, a new understanding bridges the divide between people from very different perspectives and walks of life who are looking to give back to others during their time of crisis. With audience members both onstage and in the audience acting as interested observers, the action rolls out over training sessions to prepare potential operators to answer Lifeline suicide hotline phones 24/7. And often it’s very appropriate for audience members to react verbally when questions are posed to the trainees.
Featured in the super talented cast are Brittany Visser as Jen, one of the trainers who bonds emotionally with Patti (Amy Tolsky) after she finds out what an important part Jen played in her son’s final hour. Tommy Dickie portrays Drew, an HIV-positive trainer, who works with others to realize how important pronouns can be when speaking with callers who cannot accept being ostracized for being who they really are. The other trainers are Clifton J. Adams as Kai who accepts himself as he knows he is and encourages others to do the same. Naomi Rubin is Sarah Beth, a self-acknowledging trans who recently got engaged to another trans person whom we never meet. And curly-haired Xoë Sazzle as Maya, who identifies as a loud and proud queer. At alternating performances, the cast is accompanied by musicians Joh Chase or Lou Roy on guitar whose original song soothes the soul after many emotionally draining sequences. Kudos to director Sawyer for adding in this character to enhance the emotional impact of the story.
The Design Team includes Scenic Design by Desma Murphy; Lighting Design by Matthew Richter; Projection Design by Nicholas Santiago; Sound Design by Ken Sawyer; Costume Design by Mary Jane Miller; and Properties Design by Aaron Lyons, with Maurie Gonzalez as Stage Manager. Lifeline is produced by Danna Hyams and Taylor Gilbert, with director Ken Sawyer working with reps from Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center to keep the script authentic to what takes place as a real Suicide Prevention hotline training. And I gained mounds of respect for those who do answer the phones and are ready to listen, lend emotional support without judgment, and keep pronouns in line with callers who really need to feel accepted and heard. When you need such help, please call 988.
Lifeline performances take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sunday, March 1 at the Road Theatre, located in The NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood. There will be two captioned performances for the deaf and hard of hearing communities on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 22. General admission tickets are $39, Seniors $25, and Students $17, available at roadtheatre.org or https://ci.ovationtix.com/35065/production/1258741 or call 818-761-8838.
Sweet Air is a dramatic comedy written by Matt Morillo, directed by Katie Oliver, and produced by Ryan J. Whitlock being presented at the McCadden Place Theatre through Sunday, March 1 featuring actors Jenni Chiaramonte and Shaun Bedgood as Robbie and Galen, two complete strangers on completely different paths in life who are both broke and lonely at 3:00am when they find themselves stranded together in a deserted subway station on a freezing cold New York City night. While waiting for a train that never seems to stop for them, and with seemingly nothing to lose, they strike up a conversation, commiserate, bond, unravel the mysteries of the universe and romantic comedies to ultimately find a connection in this post-pandemic, platonic Valentine’s Day tale.
Given that Sweet Air takes place in a subway station, the play’s title might be considered ironic. “Sweet Air” is also the street name for nitrous oxide (laughing gas), sometimes used recreationally as Robbie does when she’s feeling down. But sweet air may ultimately be what two strangers find as dawn approaches and a new day begins. But the play is terribly flawed in many ways with static direction and two actors who have no real connection onstage, especially Bedgood who seems to be reading his lines from a script rather than delivering them from deep within his soul as Galen. Thus, more than the first half is spent as two “talking heads” sitting on adjacent benches going on and on in a stream-of-consciousness series of ramblings. The one song the two sing together about romantic comedies (medley by Jenni Chiaramonte, lyrics by Matt Morillo) after enjoying the sweet air in Robbie’s tank was difficult to listen to as Bedgood was way off-key. But when the two finally start sharing their heartbreak honestly, the play will grab your attention thanks to Chiaramonte’s emotional delivery. Lighting and sound design by Stage Manager Miles Berman effectively enhance the subway setting realistically.
Sweet Air performances take place through February 15 on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. at the McCadden Place Theatre, 1157 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood 90038. Tickets are $25, available at http://sweetairplay.com. Suggested for audiences age 14+, it runs 80 minutes without an intermission. The play was presented in a truncated version at the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival, with different casting.
