Noir Hamlet is an intelligent and charming mashup of Shakespeare and film noir with loads of comic potential. John Minigan's script takes on a life of its own, beyond the tropes it plays with, and serves as a funny yet insightful pairing of these two genres. Despite the name, Minigan draws from Shakespeare's ideas beyond Hamlet for his script, and uses the language of film noir to deliver a sardonic punch. And there is real mystery here, right up through the last beat.

"Noir Hamlet" is a wonderful mashup, with plenty of action, suspense and humor. What I like best is that John Minigan -- clearly a fan of Shakespeare and detective fiction -- didn't feel obliged to follow the plot of "Hamlet" point-by-point. The new characters, especially Rae, lift "Noir Hamlet" beyond straightforward adaptation.

I hope "Noir Hamlet" enjoys a lengthy, robust production history.

A riveting noir that has us in its grip as we follow Hamlet on the road to discovery about his father's death, protecting his mother and holding on to his own love. Well done!