Actor Qasim Khan is excited to go from playing one of the side characters to the main star in what will be his second time performing Hamlet in Toronto’s High Park.
The last time Khan performed Shakespeare’s classic was in 2016, but his first time reading it was in high school and it’s been part of his acting journey ever since.
After Khan’s first performance with Canadian Stage in Toronto, he packed up to Stratford for five years where he learned from industry mentors and played unique roles that would eventually prepare him for an intense character like the Dane.
Although the character is usually portrayed by white actors, Khan feels his cultural identity adds depth that only he can bring.
“There’s circumstances in my life, including my father passing away when I was very young, that makes me identify with the character in a really profound way…As a Muslim-Canadian person, I have a lot of experience with the similar type of grief and political situation that Hamlet is stuck inside,” Khan told Now Toronto.
Khan also realizes he’s not the first person of colour to be cast in the role.
“My friend Amaka Umeh played Hamlet at Stratford a few years back and they did an incredible job. There’s an opening for different voices now to populate these characters and a relevance to these plays that are so bold. I think it makes sense in High Park and in Toronto the entire cast is a pretty diverse cast and I think the audiences we attract at High Park are really diverse as well. So, the stage will look like what the city looks like,” Khan said.
Now, Khan says it’s actually difficult for him to watch productions that don’t have a diverse cast.
“If it’s done mindfully, the actual identities and races of the artists actually fuels the story in a really powerful way… It’s hard to watch a play that’s entirely white cast for me because I don’t connect with this at all, like none of these people look like me, they don’t have the same experiences as me. How am I supposed to identify with these characters?” he said.
Identifying with the characters is important because Khan knows that’s the impact he has on the younger generation of immigrants who also aspire to do something unique in their lives.
“I know there will be a young, brown, queer, gay kid coming to see any of these plays and hopefully they’ll be magnetized to me and if they go home and Google me or my bio, they’ll be able to see there are examples like us,” Khan said.
Khan says he didn’t have many role models to look up to while growing up and it was difficult to navigate chasing a career in the arts as an openly queer Pakistani man.
“I’m the first person in my family to ever veer into any artistic career and it was scary for my mom in the beginning because that’s the opposite of what any immigrant parent wants… for them to be a self-employed gig economy worker.”
Eventually, his mom supported him by driving him back and forth to choir practices, bringing her friends to his plays, and unapologetically sharing her opinions about Khan’s performances.
“She’s veering into being a ‘stage mom,’” Khan joked.
Khan has been taking his preparation for the role very seriously, refusing to look at movies or old versions, so that he can piece together a unique version of Hamlet.
Ahead of opening night, Khan tells Now Toronto that his favourite quotes from the famous play are from the classic “to be or not to be” speech.
“I never thought I would be walking around trying to learn that speech,” he said.
Although Khan is excited to play the part, he’s faced challenges like learning the heavy English jargon, sword fighting, and even dealing with weather because the play is outdoors at the High Park Amphitheatre.
As for fun pre-show rituals, Khan loves to rely on his own specially curated music playlists that mentally transports him into the world of the story, while he’s walking around High Park, taking a shower, or getting ready for work.
People can watch Hamlet in High Park from opening night at 7 p.m. on July 21 and everyday except Monday after that until Sept. 1. General Admission is $32 and tickets can be purchased here.
