Roaring across University Parks and leaping out of a battered old van to play Hamlet, may not be what Shakespeare had in mind when he penned the famous tragedy. But with Creation at the helm, nothing is ever quite as it seems, except the text, which remains unaltered and revered.

The staging then is of the essence if unconventional, utilising Oxford’s secret, and often unused spaces, to bring the Bard's works quiveringly to life to an expectant and appreciative audience.

Running concurrently with a production of Midsummer Night's Dream which takes place around Oxford, admittedly both are rather weather dependent, but with summer promised, their chances currently look favourable.

As for the set up, Creation's Hamlet certainly makes a change from the traditional Elsinore setting, a band of story-tellers setting up camp and playing out Hamlet to the seated audience.

Lead Chris York tells me, this only helps to focus the mind on the tale which unfolds. “On the one hand it’s pretty ordinary because the audience are sat in a semi circle waiting for the play to begin, but what they aren’t expecting is for us to drive up, unpack and put on a show."

Does that detract then from the story itself? "No, it really works. It’s pretty mad but it’s cool. Essentially it's a play within a play, but ultimately we are actors telling a story in a park, unencumbered by curtains, sets, stages or structure so that the story itself takes centre stage in the empty landscape."

With a cast of just six, the roles are shared, the actors multi-tasking between them although Chris, as Hamlet, has more lines than all of them. So how has he gone about preparing for such a seismic part?

"There are so many different ways to portray Hamlet now – different sexes, ages, genres, races, because he is ultimately a worldly figure, so I haven't been watching other people's performances, I don’t want to play them - I want to play Hamlet myself, and make of it what I do.

"For me though, Hamlet is ultimately a human being with a story to tell so I'm really enjoying myself and give it all my energy. Every night is different, you can never really relax which keeps you on your toes."

It is the first time the 26 year-old has played the Danish prince so Chris York is relishing the part: "It’s so exciting. I look forward to every single performance and find that nerves only aid one's performance. I've never been truly terrified," he laughs, "what's the point?"

Hailing from a working class estate in Scarborough, Chris describes himself as the Billy Elliot of acting, adding that going into the arts was pretty much unheard of where he was from.

It wasn't until Chris was at university and tried his hand in a few shows that the acting bug really took hold: "I thought this is awesome and that was that really," he remembers. "Because once you’ve started acting you can't stop."

Having left drama school and moved to London, Chris then landed a part in Creation's Henry V staged at Oxford Castle.

“Creation always assembles a great cast and I really enjoyed the last experience so it wasn't a hard decision to join them again."

And then he laughs: "Not that I went for the role of Hamlet. I just did the readings. So when my agent said I’d got a part I was so delighted that it took me a while to realise he meant the lead. I took a while to catch on.

"But Creation is a joy to work for so I grabbed the opportunity because it meant I get to spend my whole summer in Oxford, which will be like a little holiday. "

And if it rains? "We’ll just get wet I suppose. I’m from the North East so I’m used to the rain,” he laughs, and then he turns and adds: "We've got a castle in Scarborough as well you know, so I'm right at home in Hamlet."