Hamstrung by George Rennie. The Glitch, 134 Lower Marsh, London SE1 until 16 June 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Beatrice Updegraff.

Hamstrung by George Rennie. The Glitch, 134  Lower Marsh, London SE1 until 16 June 2025,

4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“Yorick's turn.”

Yorick, like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, is one of the people at Elsinore on the sidelines of great events and he gets his chance in this ghost story as it were written and performed by George Rennie which has arrived in London from the Edinburgh Fringe garlanded with stars. So let us add to them. Rennie handles his audience beautifully inviting some to join the clown to tell the story he has to tell about life at court, the strange goings on taking place on those battlements, and how royalty never notice the servants while reflecting on the risks a clown can run. Down in the depths at the Glitch on a stage strew with apples and pages of his script – there is audience participation as people are given some of the pages to read out which they do with relish although the apple recipients left them for future audiences. Given a bare wall, a door to exit to see things taking place we only get told about, and a crown for the times he gets to play the king and that is about it Rennie works his magic. The result is funny, rather sad – clowns are not happy people – and impeccably performed. It also manages to throw some light on that ill fated court without littering the stage at the end with dead bodies. Like Rose in another story altogether this is Yorick's turn.

Cast

George Rennie – Yorick

Creatives

Director – Lisa Miller

Set Designer – Damien Stanton

Lighting Designer – Benedict Esdale

Sound Designer – Lucas Button

Costume Designer – Laura Rose Moran-Morris