Side Characters Shenanigans in a HAMLET Send-Up

Minor characters take center stage in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard’s Hamlet send-up, marking its 60th anniversary this year.

Set in the wings and around the action of Shakespeare’s play, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern imagines the shenanigans Hamlet’s buddies-turned-betrayers get up to while they’re figuring out how to figure out why he’s so bummed.

With wit, wordplay, and philosophical ponderings to rival the Bard himself, the play announced Stoppard as a major voice in 20th-century drama, and it continues to delight scholars and civilian nerds alike.

For a taste, watch Gary Oldman and Tim Roth play a round of “Questions” in the 1990 adaptation.

Learn more about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Tom Stoppard’s influence on modern theatre on Zero to Well-Read, then scroll below for some extra credit reading, and a very important and serious poll.

Extra Credit

If You Want to Dive Deeper

Shakespeare heads will have a great time with Stoppard’s play, but what if you’re not up on Billy Shakes’ game? Here’s the thing: you do need some kind of familiarity with Hamlet to really appreciate all that’s going on.

But, as Rebecca assures us, the silliness and fun, and then the surprise of those moments of depth that happen in and around the silliness and fun, can still land if you’re not a Hamlet scholar. To get you at least part of the way caught up, we recommend listening to our episode on Hamlet. That should set you up to win.

Very Funny, Very Brilliant, Very Chilling

If you need a little extra convincing to read Stoppard, this Clive Barnes 1967 take on Rosencrantz & Guildenstern as performed at the Alvin Theater may do the trick. He writes, “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead…is a very funny play about death. Very funny, very brilliant, very chilling; it has the dust of thought about it and the particles glitter excitingly in the theatrical air.” Okay, Mr. Barnes, I see you! Let me finally go read this play.

You can read the original review at The New York Times’ Timesmachine—and I do mean original, as in the review as it appeared in print, with the option to view as PDF.

How Would You Muppet?

In every episode of Zero to Well-Read, Jeff and Rebecca ask: if you were to dream up a new adaptation, would you prefer a movie, musical, TV series, or Muppets? I will never turn down a muppet personally, but as Jeff points out, sometimes the books we cover are a little too dark or sexual for that to be an option. We’re weird, but not that weird.

And then there are times, like today, when the only correct answer is MUPPETS, BABY! So I have a question for the people:

In the Muppet version of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, who are you casting in those titular roles?

A. Miss Piggy and Kermit

B. Gonzo and Fozzy

C. Statler and Waldorf

D. Kermit and Fozzy (added Jeff context: this pair would be matched with Gonzo as The Player and Miss Piggy as Ophelia)

E. Other (and please, do tell!)