Allan Clayton dazzles in Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Met

Jacques Imbrailo (Horatio) and Allan Clayton (Hamlet)

Brenda Rae (Ophelia) and Allan Clayton (Hamlet)

John Relyea (Ghost of Hamlet's father) and Allan Clayton (Hamlet)

William Burden (Polonius) and Brenda Rae (Ophelia)

Scene from Brett Dean's Hamlet

By David Wolfson, 19 May 2022

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“Clayton... has an easy, natural physicality that is extremely rare among opera singers”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: Metropolitan Opera House, New York City on 18 May 2022

Dean, Hamlet

Metropolitan Opera

Nicholas Carter, Conductor

Neil Armfield, Director

Ralph Myers, Set Designer

Alice Babidge, Costume Designer

Jon Clark, Lighting Designer

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

The Metropolitan Opera Chorus

Allan Clayton, Hamlet

Brenda Rae, Ophelia

Rod Gilfry, Claudius

Eve Gigliotti, Gertrude

David Butt Philip, Laertes

William Burden, Polonius

Jacques Imbrailo, Horatio

John Relyea, Ghost of Old Hamlet, Gravedigger

Eric Jurenas, Guildenstern

Daniel Moody, Rosencrantz

Justin Austin, Marcellus, Player 4

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David Wolfson

David Wolfson holds a PhD in composition from Rutgers University, and has taught at Rutgers University, Montclair State University and Hunter College. He is enjoying an eclectic career, having composed opera, musical theatre, touring children’s musicals, and incidental music for plays; choral music, band music, orchestral music, chamber music, art songs, and music for solo piano; comedy songs, cabaret songs and one memorable score for an amusement park big-headed-costumed-character show. You can find more information here.

Allan Clayton dazzles in Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Metropolitan Opera