EP 7: Towards a Feminist Hamlet

In this episode, co-host Hope Van Der Merwe interrogates the sexism and misogyny we so frequently see littered throughout Shakespeare’s works. With a focus on Hamlet, we pose the question: is it possible to perform Shakespeare – Hamlet, more specifically – in a way that is considered feminist? This episode also draws on ideas from feminist theorist and scholar, Sara Ahmed, whose notion of the “Feminist Killjoy” inspired the way this episode is structured.

This episode features conversations with: Addy Dolha, Alix Sidaris, Allyson McMackon, Anita La Selva, Christine Horne, Duncan Gibson-Lockhart, Eli Polly, Erin Kelly, Jamie Robinson, Jeff Ho, Keira Loughran, Liz Pentland, Marlis Schwietzer, Peter Parolin, Roberta Barker, and Ziyana Kotadia.

Episode 7 ASL translation courtesy of Dawn Jani Birley. ⁠ASL interpretation⁠ by Dawn Jani Birley, Robert Haughton, and Alice Lo.

Here are some links to things discussed in the episode and some suggestions for further reading:

Living A Feminist Life and T he Promise of Happiness by Sara Ahmed

Women as Hamlet: Performance and Interpretation in Theater, Film, and Fiction by Tony Howard

Hamlet at the Stratford Festival of Ontario, 2022

Why Not Theatre’s Prince Hamlet

Teatro de los Andes’ Hamlet