So cross everything.Īccording to The Daily Mail’s theatrical columnist, Cumberbatch is in “advanced discussions” to return to the West End in the Fall of 2014, this time playing Shakespeare’s tortured Prince of Denmark. Well, rumor has it that might be just what’s about to happen. In the UK, those broadcasts are shown live, but because of time delays, they are shown later in other parts of the world.Will Benedict Cumberbatch be doing "To be or not to be?" (Photo: Courtesy of ©Hartswood Films for MASTERPIECE) Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch starring in Hamlet in London? Sounds too good to be true, right? I’m looking forward to attending more NT Live productions in the future! National Theatre Live is an organization that broadcasts shows from the London Stage directly to theaters around the world. While I could go on for quite some time, I think this is enough to give you a taste of this excellent performance. Ophelia’s final scene where she distributes flowers to everyone actually made me cry. There were some odd moments between Hamlet and Ophelia that didn’t quite fit the story line, but other than that the two had great chemistry. What I loved is that you can see her insecurities growing from her very first appearance on stage. It’s hard to see why she picks up the poisoned glass-she just does and dies. The only complaint I had was that the fight scene at the end is a little jumbled. Gertrude is a trembling mess by the end-as well she should be. Whatever my problems with the middle of the play, the final moments were spot on-the “we defy augury” scene and Hamlet’s death showed Hamlet and Horatio’s closeness in a way that the previous scenes hadn’t. Once the action picks up, though, their camaraderie is slightly lacking. When Horatio greets Hamlet at the beginning of the play (a variation from the text), they are close-you can tell they love each other. Horatio is a flannel-wearing-hipster? homeless college student? We don’t know. I have always loved the close friendship between Hamlet and Horatio, and I found that element to be slightly lacking in this production. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio…” It’s as if Claudius is accepting, as Macbeth does, that there can be no prayer or remorse or mercy.ģ. One of the most powerful moments of the play is when he stands in a hurricane of leaves and dirt at the end of Act I-he has just sent Hamlet to England. He shows how Claudius is truly a schemer-he plots with everyone, with Gertrude, with Polonius, with Laertes. For some reason, Claudius has never seemed villainous to me-no matter how many times Hamlet cries out “bloody, bawdy villain!/Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!” I think it’s because every time I’ve read the play or seen it performed the focus is so much on Hamlet the Dane. We were all laughing along as he pretended to be mad and holed himself up in a toy soldier’s castle.Ĭiarán Hinds ( Frozen, The Phantom of the Opera, Harry Potter, Persuasion) brings Claudius to life in a very unique way. He pulls the audience into his brain and shows the thoughts unravelling behind “to be or not to be,” and “what a piece of work is man.” Some of the other, less famous lines were a little quick and hard to hear, but he nails the speeches. The most interesting aspect of any performance of Hamlet is how the title character handles the endless soliloquies. Somehow Benedict Cumberbatch manages to take a 400 year-old part and create a very modern, 21st century figure. Move over, David Tennant, there’s a new Dane in town. Take it for what it’s worth! I’m no theatre critic, but I do love me some Shakespeare. My review is focusing on my own opinions-not the slightly mixed reviews I read of his stage performance. Benedict Cumberbatch is my favorite Hamlet. After three hours and twenty minutes (not counting the intermission), it’s official, y’all.
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