Hamlet is perhaps the most quoted, but least understood of all of Shakespeare's plays in which the Prince of Denmark's world comes crashing down.

However, as Hamlet sets out on his act of revenge, he is fraught by an intense psychological and philosophical struggle that asks some of the most fundamental questions about life and death.

Alan Stanford in the director's seat surrounded by an all star Irish cast, including Marty Rea as Hamlet, Stephen Brennan as Polonius and Maeve Fitzgerald as Ophelia.

You're directing Hamlet; do you still find time to tread the boards yourself?

With Second Age, I'm mainly directing, but I still work with The Gate Theatre in Dublin on their repertoire and act in certain plays like 'Salome'.

Directing necessitates immersing yourself completely in the whole work, as opposed to as an actor where you'd concentrate solely on your own character.

It's very different all right; with directing you have a much greater affinity with the whole piece. Each actor has their own patterns and, as a director, it's my job to put all these patterns together.

Is your adaptation of Hamlet played out in a contemporary setting?

I've set it in Bronte time actually, around the 1830s. It's very Wuthering Heights I suppose; it's classic but not Elizabethan yet has a certain modernity.

Modernity is quite an apt word, as, though the play was written a long time ago, the themes and emotions are just as prevalent today?

Absolutely, you see you have to remember that in the 450 years since Shakespeare wrote 'Hamlet' nothing has truly changed, except for fashion and technology. People don't change; they have the same feelings, they suffer the same depressions and anger. And all plays are modern because when they were written they were modern!

Hamlet is one of the true tragic figures and the play deals with him having to change, to become a different man almost.

It's often said of Hamlet that he's incapable of action, but he's actually very capable, he just has to get to that point. And it's a most remarkable development journey to get there. We see him first as a carefree philosopher prince when suddenly he has this 'wonderful' revelation from his dead father's ghost that his uncle, who has now married Hamlet's mother, murdered his father and his father now wants revenge. It's not in Hamlet's nature to do that, but we see him turning into the kind of man he needs to be to do what he has to do.

There's so much depth to the play, it's a textured work.

It's a remarkable play; it's not for nothing that it's noted as one of the world's greatest plays. There are such rich characters and it's wonderfully layered. His is not a very pleasant journey; lots of people get killed along the way. But as well as this it's very funny, as are all good tragedies... comedy and tragedy should never be separate.

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