Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by Ex Machina & Côté Danse makes its BC premiere at Vancouver Playhouse March 18-21. Presented by DanceHouse, with community partners Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival and Théâtre la Seizième the reinterpretation of William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy was created by two Canadian icons: Choreographer Guillaume Côté, who will reprise the role of Hamlet in the Vancouver run, and Director Robert Lepage.
photo: Sasha Onyshchenko
This full-length production explores the play’s themes of power, betrayal, and inner turmoil through movement, lighting, and minimal set design alone, offering a resonant and wordless reflection on struggles that remain deeply relevant today.
“When I first experienced Hamlet, Prince of Denmark in Montreal in February 2025, I was genuinely jubilant—this was a work that immediately felt essential to share. The collaboration between Robert Lepage and Guillaume Côté brings together two extraordinary artistic voices: Lepage’s theatrical imagination and Côté’s choreographic and performative brilliance,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse. “Lepage’s work has not been seen in Vancouver for some time, and it feels especially meaningful to welcome him back through a creation that so powerfully reconsiders Shakespeare through movement, invention, and contemporary form.”
Accompanied by an evocative original score by John Gzowski, the all-star cast brings Shakespeare’s characters to life: Hamlet and Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Horatio and Laertes, Gertrude, Claudius, and Polonius. The innovative choreography blends classical, contemporary, and street-dance influences, resulting in “gripping dance sequences […] that breathe new life into the tale, easily replacing those ever-so-famous words with gestures. Ophelia’s suicide, Hamlet’s soliloquy, the final duel — together, Côté and Lepage make those canonical moments feel new” (Intermission Magazine).
photo: Bruce Zinger
Pools of golden light from designer Simon Rossiter, blood-red velvet drapery and occasional surtitles functioning as a Greek chorus create a striking visual landscape, offering audiences a chance to experience the familiar tragedy in a bold new form. With its fusion of innovative choreography and theatrical artistry, this groundbreaking production invites Shakespeare and dance enthusiasts, and newcomers alike to immerse themselves in the shadowy realm of Hamlet.
Ex Machina & Côté Danse’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is on stage March 18 to 21, 2026, at the Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton Street. Visit dancehouse.ca for show details and tickets -act fast, an additional performance has already been added due to popular demand.