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About the book

“A superbly constructed dramatisation of a society's descent into fundamentalism and chaos” Sunday Herald

The Al-Hamlet Summit is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and a remarkable piece of twenty-first century theatre set in the cauldron of Middle-Eastern discontent.

Having gained control of a modern Arab state, a ruthless dictator attempts a westernised experiment in thrall to arms dealers and propped up by U.S. dollars. Yet a catastrophic war is brewing, he is besieged by enemy neighbours from without and a growing Islamic extremism from within, whilst his predecessor’s son, Hamlet, is plotting revenge.

Al-Bassam’s Summit is Hamlet boldly re-imagined as pure, deadly politics.

This edition includes an introduction by Professor Graham Holderness and is illustrated throughout with performance stills from Al-Bassam’s internationally award-winning 2004 production of the play.