The Factory: Hamlet at Riverside Studios

Our first glimpse of Hamlet is an awkward backward glance, necks craned as he sits directly behind us, cocksure and grinning in his skinny jeans, scoffing that his mother should have had a joint party for her ex-husband’s funeral and her latest marriage.

The Factory Production of Hamlet is a kind of theatrical Russian roulette; an unrepeatable and raw performance where the actors learn only moments before curtain-up who will play who. The audience, who have been gingerly fondling their respective props and eyeballing the actors lounging on the stage in jeans, do not have a clue what to expect. One of the 'rules' of this modern twist on a classic play is that there is no set: the audience supply all the props and the drama unfolds around whatever is supplied. The audience also play a minor role in casting; 'players' are handpicked from the crowd by actors to participate in games of paper, scissors, stone. The actors who have picked the winners get the parts. One audience member actually appears on stage...

And so the play rolls into action, language unadulterated, awakening vivid memories of A-Level English in many of the collected viewers. Act Two is suddenly transported to an underpass outside the theatre... and swiftly relocated to a path beside the river when we're asked to move on by the police because apparently Amy Winehouse is on her way. Beside the water at dusk, watching the young actors employ whatever props they can lay their hands on (these included non-consensual bikes, Chinese dragons, hats, party poppers) the atmosphere is intimate and the air bristling with intrigue. The unexpected nature of the play lends an amazing excitement. No one knows what's going to happen. The actors have no idea where the director will take them next; the director is uncertain what the actors will do – they are completely add-libbing prop wise: making you nervous as they prowl around scanning the crowd for unsuspecting areas of comedy and drama - and the audience doesn't have a bloody clue.

The surprise props are hilarious for most, but unfortunate for some. At one point, during a very intense scene in which he verbally attacks his mother, Hamlet is handed a tube of toothpaste. In a swift, ill-advised move, he fills his mouth with the chalky paste and proceeds to punctuate his speech with gobs of white foam. At first it's effective, then the poor Hamlet begins to choke his words out through tears. Later, he approaches a member of the audience and pushes the tube against her lips. Shaking her head slightly, with a look of embarrassment and alarm on her face, she tries to pull away, but Hamlet persists, filling her mouth with the toothpaste that she will be wiping bitterly from her lips for the rest of the act.

Other prop fiascos see Rosencrantz on rollerboots during the climatic final death scene, Ophelia getting the toothpaste treatment by the irrepressible Hamlet (rubbing it in her face as he shouts "Get thee to a nunnery!"), Claudius making his speech while firing an electric drill, Yorrick's skull being replaced by a tin of tomatoes (which is later opened and thrown about the stage obviously) and the queen 'drinking' from her poisoned cup by putting things into a handbag. The most inspired prop use of the evening is the ghost of the dead king urging Hamlet "Don’t forget, don’t forget" by sticking post-it notes all around the stage.

The Factory rendition of Hamlet is a completely original and disarming take on the great play. The cast are young, passionate and talented and they leave you feeling breathless and involved, on the edge of your seat, willing them on, laughing, crying and cheering with them.

The venue changes each week. To find out where the latest performance is click see Hamlet.