Hamlet: R2D2 or not 2B2

What it's about

If you ask an AI bot which work represents the absolute pinnacle of Western theater history, the answer is: "Hamlet". Not surprisingly, as the drama about the inner conflict of a young prince who is asked by his father's ghost to take revenge on his murderer has inspired, disturbed and fascinated generations. In it, William Shakespeare unites the great themes of humanity: love, revenge, death and madness. Can the play "Hamlet" therefore be regarded as the undisputed crowning achievement of human creativity? Or does this legacy now have a new authority: artificial intelligence, which is increasingly penetrating the realm of creativity?

Just as "Hamlet" once stood on the threshold from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, we now find ourselves on the cusp of a digital age. The fear of being taken over by machines is great - fueled by billion-dollar companies whose "leaders" have long been regarded as key figures in this development. But aren't these rulers also products of the human species, which has always exploited the world, animals and each other despite moral values? Could an AI, an incorruptible, corrective authority, perhaps even bring salvation?

In collaboration with the ensemble in Hanover, the Dutch theater company De Warme Winkel approaches these questions with playful ease and a full arsenal of theatrical art. Taking "Hamlet" as their starting point, the artists venture a look into the future to draw conclusions about what it means to be - or not to be - human. A confrontation as timeless as it is necessary.