It’s bold to think you could craft a better Hamlet than Shakespeare, but theatre alum and playwright Darcy Knopp (Dip ’08) decided to give it a try.  He felt challenged to improve upon many aspects of the Bard’s classic.

“I had all these reasons for why I think Hamlet sucks,” says Darcy. “If you kind of take out the poetry, it reads like a B-movie revenge quest. Then someone asked me, ‘think you could do better’? And that started the wheels turning, and the ideas started formulating.”

His biggest issues with Hamlet centered around character development.

“Hamlet is an interesting character. But all the rest of the characters, they do weird things,” says Darcy. “A lot of their actions are unmotivated and flat.”

Darcy sat down to pen the play Rotten in the State of Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic and has now been given the opportunity to give his idea life. He set to work fleshing out the supporting cast. His mission: to develop each character as fully as possible, giving them heightened conflict and to put them under a lot of pressure.

“There’s a couple of television shows that had a bit of an influence,” says Darcy.

He recalls the series Sons of Anarchy, written by Kurt Sutter.

“What I took from that is what happens when you put characters under pressure,” says Darcy. “Let’s take these classic characters and let’s put them all under a lot of pressure and let’s see how they handle it. We’ll watch them crack.”

To do this with Hamlet, Darcy ensured that every character in the play has something at stake. He leans into moments, such as Ophelia’s dismissal by Hamlet to go off to a nunnery.

“Through the rehearsals, it’s a hard thing to watch,” says Darcy, “That sort of breakdown and how crippling it is for both characters.”

Bard in the Valley (BIV) will present Rotten in the State of Denmark as part of its winter season, directed by the author himself.

“Bard in the Valley has given me the resources to bring along an excellent group of actors and crew together,” says Darcy. “I’m really fortunate.”

Darcy played Oberon in BIV’s inaugural production in 2010, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and has since been an active member of the company as a cast or crew member, and as a director. This afforded him the opportunity to share his reimagining of Hamlet with the community.

“I’m very fortunate with the cast that we’ve put together,” says Darcy. “Everybody’s really enjoying the experience of working on the show. I believe the play allows the actors ample opportunity to showcase their acting skills. Gives them give some time and space on stage to show a down to earth performance.”

Rotten in the State of Denmark runs from January 23 to February 2 at the Fort Langley Community Hall. You can get your tickets online from Bard in the Valley. Use the code UFVAlumni to receive a 20% discount on the ticket price.