28.05.2025

THEATRE ARTS | OPHELIA THINKS HARDER

THEATRE ARTS | YEAR 11 | LIVE AUDIENCE

By Jean Betts and William Shakespeare

Artwork | Joe Bleakley

By arrangement with Playmarket

Wednesday 28 May and Thursday 29 May

Southbank Theatre | The Lawler
140 Southbank Blvd, Southbank VIC 3006

The graduating class of VCASS Theatre Artists 2025 is proud to present Ophelia Thinks Harder. Jean Betts’ adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet usurps its central character to give many of his most famous monologues instead to Ophelia. Betts also samples text from Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest, ruthlessly reassigning dialogue to create this original work, which is on one level a ferociously funny pastiche of Hamlet and on another, a hilariously savage indictment of male pomposity, oppression, sexism and misogyny.

Says Betts, “I thought Shakespeare was supposed to be a brilliant analyst of human nature, not just men’s nature? Didn’t all intelligent human beings understand that it was just historical accident that allowed only men to deliver these powerful lines on stage? ... Ophelia has at least as much reason as Hamlet to rage and despair. She’s forced into a boring, pointless existence, has no friends, is bullied by brother and father, denied an education, loses both parents and endures cruelly dismissive behaviour from her self-centred boyfriend. She is a complex, confused, intelligent, moody and passionate creature in her own right.”

With elegantly serious moments punctuating the boisterous comedic energy of our huge ensemble cast, Ophelia Thinks Harder encourages audiences to think too - about how far we’ve evolved and how much still needs to be accomplished.

Enquiries | enquiries@vcass.vic.edu.au

AUDIENCE TICKETS

Tickets through Southbank Theatre when they become available.