THEATRE REVIEW: Hamlet - at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until August 13, 2016.

WHAT a seismic shift, what a sea-change there is here since Shakespeare’s venerated tragedy was last performed at the RST three years ago with its near all-black cast and Prince Hamlet’s chilly Elsinore home virtually disappearing over the horizon.

Denmark of 2013 had a time-shift to the 1960s, but now its bang up to date - considerably contemporary, as it’s not only shifted time again but also continents - with director Simon Godwin setting the action in one of those African countries where there is a conflict, such as Liberia or Togo.

Paradoxically - unexpected yet partially predictable and it works!

As soon as the first loud, pounding tribal drumbeat is heard it provides more than an inkling that Hamlet won’t be needing his thermals this time round.

Instead he arrives at a Wittenberg University presentation ceremony smartly suited and booted only to then find life heading in a downward spiral and forced to feign madness on his return to his African roots as he plots revenge for his father’s murder.

Fifteen of the talented 18-strong cast are black, led in affable style by Paapa Essiedu, as he became the long overdue first black actor to play the Prince of Denmark since the RSC came into being back in 1961. He followed assuredly and fleet-footedly in the recent steps of David Tennant, who oozed quality and class in the role eight years ago, and more recently Jonathan Slinger.

His depiction of Hamlet, surely one of the greatest dramatic characters ever created, was decidedly different and delicious in the extreme. A performance that grabbed attention throughout and was energetically infectious.

Young Essiedu - who is of Ghanaian descent, has an easily remembered name and the ease with which he took on the role and captured extremes of loss, guilt, revenge and madness, will surely have him marked down as a name a great deal will be heard of in years to come.

Natalie Simpson’s Ophelia pleads for and gets our sympathy in another power-packed performance which reaches its pinnacle in the aftermath of her rejection by Hamlet.

Lots to admire also about Clarence Smith’s Cuban-heeled Claudius and Tanya Moodie’s Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, dressed in a style that could have put her front of camera hosting a cookery or quiz show.

A plaudit too for Cyril Nri’s patronising Polonius.

Unfortunately Rosencrantz (James Cooney) and Guildenstern are a shade subdued. They’re not exactly the usual scheming young college kids as one is female, with Bethan Cullinane playing the latter.

There’s more menace from the gun-toting soldiers guarding Elsinore.

However, the ghost scene is something special! Ewart James Walters is a tremble inducing spooky sight as clouds of dry ice swirl eerily all around him. Then later his jovial gravedigger, although only brief, was highly amusing and led perfectly into Essiedu’s light-hearted but still purposeful delivery of the Yorick speech.

There’s always a sense of energy about this tragic play and the action emphasised this although it lasts a shade under three hours. Without doubt this Hamlet is vigorously vibrant and not simply because of beating drums and rhythmic dancing.

And it’s worth it just to see Essiedu and to witness a moment of British theatrical history.