The Toby Gribben Show

What happens when one of history's most enduring plays looks through the lens of someone on the sidelines? Hamlet/Horatio captures the timeless tale of corruption and vengeance through the eyes of the outsider, Horatio. Glass House Distribution will release Hamlet/Horatio June 1 on a number of digital and cable platforms.

Hamlet/Horatio has been a 20-year collaboration between producer David Wenzel and writer David Vando. The film celebrates the power of love to transcend corruption and evil driven by Horatio's mission to keep Hamlet's spirit alive, even after death.

Shakespeare's magnum opus was originally about the King of Denmark's son, Hamlet. In the text, Hamlet is told by his father's ghost to avenge his death and kill the new king, Hamlet's uncle. Horatio is Hamlet's trusted and beloved friend. Instead of telling the Hamlet story through its main character's eyes, Hamlet/Horatio flips the notion on its head and tells the story through Horatio's perspective.

The release of Hamlet/Horatio is the culmination of a 20-year collaboration between producer David Wenzel and writer David Vando, directed by Paul Warner.

"David Vando and I felt it was a need to introduce Hamlet/Horatio in a new concept to make it more relatable to a newer audience that might have been standoffish with Shakespeare in the past," David Wenzel said. "We have known Paul Warner for over 20 years and was a logical choice for him to direct."

Hamlet/Horatio begins on an empty sound stage with the death of Hamlet. The action transpires in his last moment of awareness as the hero of Shakespeare's most famous play watches his life flash before him while his soul transcends all earthly conflict. Hamlet/Horatio is told from the perspective of Hamlet's closest friend and confidante, Horatio, who takes on the role of film director in order to fulfill his promise to dying Hamlet of telling the story of Hamlet's life so that the world will know of Hamlet's tragic sacrifice.