Elsinore | Larp

Elsinore, Denmark

Cast List:

Hamlet

Queen Gertrude

Ophelia

Horatio (potentially understudy role)

Player King and/or Player Queen (potentially understudy role)

Polonius (potentially understudy role, or can be NPC)

Rosencrantz and/or Guildenstern (can be understudy or NPC)

Osric (this role has been claimed by the OC Photographer!)

King Claudius (NPC)

Laertes (NPC)

Fortinbras (NPC)

Ghost of Hamlet Sr (NPC)

(misc. Sentinels, Pirates etc as additional NPC roles)

At the time the Plothole to the Isle of Sycorax opens:

Hamlet is greatly troubled, having been visited by the Ghost of Hamlet Sr, his recently-deceased father, who tells Hamlet that his death was no accident, but that he was murdered by his own brother, King Claudius. Since his father’s death, Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, has married his uncle, King Claudius, which disgusts and frustrates Hamlet.

Hamlet is in a romantic relationship with Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius and sister of Laertes. Hamlet’s best friend and closest companion is Horatio.

Unsure whether or not the Ghost of Hamlet Sr is telling the truth or it is some kind of devilish trick being played upon him, to make him murder his uncle, King Claudius (who he does not know for sure truly killed his father), Hamlet grows more and more distracted, putting a strain on his relationships with his mother, Queen Gertrude, his best friend, Horatio, and with his lover, Ophelia. Polonius, Ophelia’s father, declares that prince Hamlet is mad - albeit concluding that this madness is brought on by Hamlet’s love for Ophelia. Hot-tempered fighter Laertes is fiercely protective of his sister Ophelia, and disapproves of her relationship with prince Hamlet.

Hamlet decides to lean in, feigning madness whilst mostly being in control of his wits, although anxious and tormented by this ghostly command to seek revenge. The only person he trusts with his thoughts and plans is Horatio, who loves Hamlet greatly but does not know what to make of his ravings.

King Claudius summons Hamlet’s old friend(s) from university - Rosencrantz and/or Guildenstern - to spy on Hamlet, whilst paranoid by his own guilt, because he did indeed murder Hamlet’s father to gain his crown and Queen Gertrude.

Hamlet, in turn, arranges for the Player King and/or Player Queen to come to court, in order to enact a play that depicts a murder much like that of his own father, hoping to elicit a reaction of guilt and shame from his uncle King Claudius if he witnessed such a performance.

Whilst Hamlet is plotting this in secret, Laertes and King Claudius concoct a plan to exile Hamlet to England - additionally ensuring his ship would be set upon by pirates enroute, to assassinate the prince.

King Claudius asks one of the household staff, Osric - often the court’s Entertainer, and referee in sporting fencing matches - to start digging graves, although they do not say who the graves are intended for; it is always possible that this is simply preparation for war, as Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, is marching his armies towards Denmark, and is expected to arrive with a declaration of war any day now…

As such, before the Plothole opens, the following plans are made but not yet set in motion:

Hamlet intends to kill King Claudius - but only if he can ascertain King Claudius’ definitive guilt in the murder of Hamlet Sr.
To help prove King Claudius’ guilt of regicide/fratricide, he has requested the presence of local Entertainer(s), the Player King and/or Player Queen, to perform a powerful Masque.
Queen Gertrude is married to a murderer and apparently does not know it. She would quite probably be horrified to learn this news, if she is indeed unaware of this crime and was not herself party to it.
Queen Gertrude believes her son Hamlet to be mad - possibly, as Polonius claims, due to his love of Ophelia. As such, she has allowed King Claudius to make arrangements for Hamlet to be sent to England - not knowing that King Claudius and Laertes intend for Hamlet’s ship to be set upon by pirates, and for Hamlet to be killed.
Hamlet’s “madness” - at least partially, although not necessarily entirely being put on for show - is putting a major strain on his relationships with Ophelia, Horatio and his mother, Queen Gertrude. In addition to this, his old university friend(s) Rosencrantz and/or Guildenstern will not leave him alone, as they are spying on him, as instructed by King Claudius.
Hamlet is slightly manic and paranoid - he is dangerous to those around him, and if someone like Polonius (or anyone, really) managed to startle him, it is entirely possible that he might kill someone, even accidentally, whilst he agonises over whether or not kill his uncle, King Claudius.
Ophelia is in love with Hamlet - as, quite possibly, is Horatio - both hope to get through to the Prince, but are disturbed by his obsession with his uncle’s recent marriage to his mother, and their frustration may cause either or both to abandon him to his “madness”, lest either die of heartbreak, if Hamlet were to reject their attentions and affections.
The Ghost of Hamlet Sr is haunting Hamlet, as well as sentinels like Osric, and is growing impatient to be avenged - he may begin to haunt others to demand they kill King Claudius, and seeing the undead can drive people mad, or to do wild and desperate deeds.
In addition, Fortinbras is on his way, likely to kill any Danes he finds living when he reaches Elsinore…

At a feast in Elsinore Castle, where Hamlet hopes to confirm King Claudius’ guilt through the ruse of the Masque he has commissioned, all of the above characters are feasting, dancing and drinking (save for Ghost of Hamlet Sr and Fortinbras, who are just outside the castle gates, where Osric is digging graves):

Ophelia is sat in Hamlet’s lap whilst Horatio rests his head on Hamlet’s shoulder. King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Laertes, Polonius and Rosencrantz and/or Guildenstern take their seats to watch the Player King and/or Player Queen’s performance, when a magical whirlpool appears; the Plothole envelops them all, and when they awaken, they are on the shores of an unknown island, with several others from strange lands that they do not know or recognise…