Hamlet
The production holds together so perfectly that you can't question what era the play is set in!
Hamlet
Jude Law survives slings and arrows with a 'lucid, excellent' performance of Hamlet.
Daily Mail, 2009
Hamlet
The production holds together so perfectly that you can't question what era the play is set in!
Why see Hamlet?
The King of Denmark is dead.
Consumed with grief, Prince Hamlet determines to avenge his father’s apparent murder, with devastating consequences for his family and the kingdom.
Michael Grandage directs Jude Law as Hamlet in Shakespeare’s iconic revenge tragedy
Prince Hamlet's father has recently died, and his mother has wasted no time before marrying her dead husband's brother, Claudius. When Hamlet sees his father's ghost, who reveals he was murdered by Claudius, he is moved to revenge, faking his own madness to try and discover the truth.
Law, who is best known for his film work including The Talented Mr Ripley, Road To Perdition and Cold Mountain, has an extensive theatrical background including appearances in productions of Dr Faustus and 'Tis Pity She's A Whore at the Young Vic.
Key Information
Audience
Hamlet is suitable for audiences aged 12 and upwards.? Children under 5 will not be admitted to the Wyndam's Thatre.
Run Time
3 hours and 10 minutes including one intermission.
Dates
Finished 22 Aug 2009
Cast
Jude Law as Hamlet
Penelope Wilton as Gertrude
Kevin R McNally as Claudius
Ron Cook as Polonius
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ophelia
Alex Waldmann as Laertes
Peter Eyre as the Ghost of Hamlet's Father & The Player King
Matt Ryan as Horatio
David Burke, 1st Gravedigger / Barnardo
Henry Pettigrew as 2nd Gravedigger / Marcellus
Ian Drysdale as Osrick
Jenny Furnell as the Player Queen
Gwilyn Lee as Guildenstern
John MacMillan as Rosencrantz
Alan Turkington as Fortinbras / Francisco
Penelope Wilton as Gertrude
Kevin R McNally as Claudius
Ron Cook as Polonius
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ophelia
Alex Waldmann as Laertes
Peter Eyre as the Ghost of Hamlet's Father & The Player King
Matt Ryan as Horatio
David Burke, 1st Gravedigger / Barnardo
Henry Pettigrew as 2nd Gravedigger / Marcellus
Ian Drysdale as Osrick
Jenny Furnell as the Player Queen
Gwilyn Lee as Guildenstern
John MacMillan as Rosencrantz
Alan Turkington as Fortinbras / Francisco
Creative
Directed by Michael Grandage
Written by William Shakespeare
Design by Christopher Oram
Lighting Design by Neil Austin
Composer & Sound Design by Adam Cork
Written by William Shakespeare
Design by Christopher Oram
Lighting Design by Neil Austin
Composer & Sound Design by Adam Cork
Reviews
Our review
Compelling, Outstanding, Incredible
Michael Grandage's production moves swiftly through the unfolding drama and apart from a slightly heavy opening scene the pace is as swift as the actors performances are delicate and un-selfconscious
Josephine Knight
Customer reviews
7 reviews, average rating: (4.7 Stars)
KPC
Amazing and intense compression
A taut, tense and engrossing production with outstanding performances from all of the six cast members. Mark Arends is captivating as Hamlet and plays the role eloquently, finding new meaning
and emphasis in the lines . This is high energy, high emotion, physical expressionist theatre of a high order. The intensity always threatens to snap, but it is cleverly paced and contained. There are
some unexpected twists, eg , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are subsumed into Laertes, and the 'play within the play', is given a completely new life.In the intimate space of Trafalgar Studio 2 the
audience is pulled into this storm twister of grief, poisoned loves, blood and psychosis. High risk, high octane theatre at its incendiary best, this is Hamlet stripped bare to its internal core. Serious
business. ... Read more
Anonymous
Under-powered cast put pressure on His Cumberbatchness
It is disconcerting seeing a Shakespearean drama in the Barbican, where, after all the 'no phones/photos' announcements and signs go out, a high-tech safety curtain opens to reveal an ernormous stage with a fantastic set, ceiling and all.
But I was mystified by the costume choices - somewhere between period/comtemporary/billy-the-butler blue coats and a world war II type warm room chic. Somewhere in there were some great ideas that just got lost.
And then there was the man of the moment - excellent all round I would say - but you could feel that he had to player striker, centre half, winger and goalkeeper for the team to keep it all moving.
Perhaps it was the cavaernous space on stage or just that all eyes were on Hamlet throughout, but it didn't feel like the rest of the cast stepped up to make this the oustanding performance it deserves to be. Shame.
On the plus side the audience were incredibly well behaved - not a phone or camera to be seen! More please! ... Read more
londoner
Pretty good
Some outstanding roles, but Hamlet was a bit too much of a pussy
and lacked conviction regarding his treatment of Ophelia. That
said, this is a tight production well delivered. ... Read more
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