You know, I couldn’t imagine anything which might me vote Reform-until I saw…

[CurlewKate]

the trigger warnings on the National Theatre’s forthcoming production of Hamlet.

“Please note: This production contains themes of grief and death, including suicide and the loss of a parent, depictions of madness, violence, and coercive behaviour.”

I mean-if it was a new play you might wander into accidentally…but HAMLET????🤣🤣🤣

I assume Reform will be very much “Down with this sort of thing”?

What a bloody spoiler if nothing else.

😂 true!

I would be very disappointed if Hamlet didn’t include those themes. In this respect, the world has indeed gone bonkers. I am not however, tempted to vote for that velveteen-collared con-artist and his bunch of self-serving, racist Little Engländers.

Why would a three line warning before a show influence how you elect those responsible for your health care, economy, international relations and education systems?

And what would the Reform company do about that?

In my experience, Reform voters and the like are massive snowflakes. My mum is triggered by any non-white face in a film or TV programme. Such a melt. Hamlet might be okay—they're Danish, but at least they're white. I wouldn't take her to see Othello.

You're assuming that everyone knows the story of Hamlet.
I'm assuming that you've never met anyone who has been traumatised. Being triggered can make you feel like you are right back in the original situation. So watching Hamlet someone might be transported back to when they discovered someone who had committed suicide with all the associated feelings. It can be very unpleasant.

You don't have to read the trigger warnings if it bugs you but, they are there for a good reason and it's not because "snowflakes" might get upset

Nothing could make me vote for Reform. No idea why a trigger warning would make you want to vote for a racist, misogynistic bunch of liars.

Chancers will claim not being warned as a way of getting refunds, suing for compensation etc. Seems a good enough reason to have content warnings, even if they are over the top for well known plays.

If Reform were in government then the option to see Hamlet at the National Theatre would probably end, as either they would lose arts council funding, or people with higher mortgage rates that would result could no longer afford to go.

She might like the film of Othello with Laurence Olivier in the title role- ably assisted by a couple of tins of cherry black shoe polish.
Different times!!

I agree the warning is daft but I’ve no idea what this has to do with Reform, unless you’re hoping they get rid of freedom of speech. The choice to publish a trigger warning is the theatre’s- nothing to do with the government.

😆

I think it’ll be in their manifesto - an end to theatre trigger warnings.

I agree.

I find your comment odd, if I'm honest. I don't think everyone would know about the 'coercive behaviour' in Hamlet, even if you knew about other aspects of the play.

Exactly

Not everyone knows the full ins and outs. Why are you so offended??

This!
I don't see the issue with the trigger warning. Believe it or not not everyone knows Shakespeare well.
And they are not changing the play in any way.
I don't understand why it should make you want to vote Reform! Even if it was a not very good joke.

I’m pretty sure the actor playing Hamlet in this production is black.

Walk away from the troll

And... What exactly is the problem?

Some people (including tourists) don't remember what exactly is which play about, so they can make an informed choice now.

I suppose it can work as a stealth brag/advert in the same time, some people might make an informed choice to visit it because it sounds dark and cool.

What is the harm in it?

They need to add "colour-blind casting" as an additional trigger warning for Reform voters, then.

When I watched the Armando Iannucci David Copperfield film with my mum, she huffily went off into the corner to read.

With reform we would get a warning that a play contained females and non White British males!

For the avoidance of doubt, this is not an entirely serious thread….

I could see you were joking but the atmosphere is fraught on MN right now ..

Eseentially every public organisation in the country spends more time worrying about trigger warnings and the like than actual quality service delivery.

For example: A passing fad of putting St George's Cross' up now, Council's falling over themselves to remove them asap... meanwhile services are on their knees.

The country is run by fools, it is hardly surprising people are desperate to try something new, they thought Labour would be that answer but clearly they are even more useless than the Tories were.

A theatre putting a trigger warning on a Shakespear play is a symptom of a broken country entirely focussed on the wrong things. So yes we need change....

Oh Goody! Hilarious banter about voting for a racist political party. My favourite 😍