Hamlet - Tom Hiddleston, Kenneth Branagh, RADA fundraiser

I'm not altogether sure whether that's a plea from kathryn or a threat to dear old Kenny B and the staff at RADA.

I'm hedging my bets with a bit of both.

Thankfully the gravedigger was singing rather than rapping (plus playing the drums on some skulls if that counts as a bonus): I was very impressed with this production, more thoughts in the next day or two (its been a very long day). Only merchandise I spotted other than the programmes was a RADA hoodie: but I have to say there was an excellent display of drinks and snacks on offer in the bar, just a shame I didn't have a bit longer to try them out.

I'm not the biggest of Shakespeare fan by any means (I've only seen a few of the plays performed on the stage, and the only other Hamlet I've seen live was the Michael Sheen/Young Vic five or six years back) but I thought this really was a quality production. Yes it was expensive but the view of proceedings I had was superb (front row side on in the middle, only a couple of feet away from the action) and its not really that expensive compared to some of the other shows on in the West End at the moment like Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and The Ferryman.

The staging was very minimal with just a desk,a few items of furniture and a set of doors in act one, and even less in act two (not sure if Hiddleston actually hurt his foot when he kicked the sofa in act one or if the 'ooof' is intentional, I guess I shall never know) with a nice use of lighting and music (the lighting in the graveyard scene was superb, although not sure how much people sat upstairs or right at the back of ground level could see). I was especially impressed with the sword fight, must have taken a hell of a lot of training and rehearsal to get that into shape to go at such a speed without anyone getting injured.

I thought Hiddleston was great, and really seemed to be enjoying himself, maybe a little overshouty in act one (a fair bit amount of spit flying out of his mouth at times, I feared for some of the people sat on the other side of the auditorium at moments), and some of the shouting was so full on I though he might give himself an embolism at some point, but he seemed a lot calmer in act two. A nice little bit of dancing with Rosacrantz and Guildastern too, but I won't be ordering that 'Tom Hiddleston Sings...' album when it comes out after hearing him in that opening scene.

The supporting cast were uniformly good, especially Sean Foleys Polonius and Nicholas Farrells Claudius, but I can't really say anyone could be described as a weak link. Only minor gripes - I also thought act one dragged a little bit towards the end, and maybe they could have had different actors playing King Hamlet/the Player and Polonius/Osric, but I'm still so glad I saw this, easily in the top 3 productions I've seen this year.

Nice review Kathryn, thanks. And Marwood, thanks. 
Huh, empty seats. How annoying.

Review from Tuesday night and a massive Thank You to Marwood for his spare ticket and apologies for going to the wrong place.😳

To explain where I'm coming from - going through all my theatre programmes before seeing this I was surprised to realise that Hamlet was a bit like Gone With the Wind or Casablanca in that I had never actually seen a full-blown British production or studied it at school or college, despite thinking I had and knowing all the quotes. I had actually seen 2 ropey Spanish productions (while my Spanish was still sketchy) and 2 spin-offs (don't ask!) I also taught it and dramatised key scenes with year 5/6 children last year, so was familiar enough with the story.

I have never liked modern dress Shakespeare - even when I was young and alternative! So I was a bit worried this would spoil it for me.  Well, I can only say that after two minutes of studying Tom Hiddleston's bu.......ff coloured boots, *drink* I completely forgot about it as it just simply worked. Their clothing was mainly muted tones of denim, navies, greys and blacks and fitted perfectly with the understated delivery of the lines. The only time the costumes seemed a bit weird was in the final scene, when many of them wore buttoned up coats of various colours.  But I'm being picky!

I was talking to one of this year's graduates, who was manning the cloakroom, and she told me that Kenneth Branagh had come to do what they thought was a masterclass on audition technique.  That he was secretly auditioning them wasn't discovered until 2 of this year's graduates actually got cast - Eleanor de Rohan as Guildastern and Irfan Shamji as Laertes.  I could actually feel the excitement she felt for them being a part of this production. Such a wonderful experience for them!

I was surprised to really love Branagh's direction - he has never been someone I've sought out to watch. There were many 'cheap' laughs which I wasn't sure about to begin with, but I ended up going with it and thoroughly enjoying.  Sean Foley's exuberant Polonius was a stand-out for me. I also loved Lolita Chakrabarti's understated Gertrude and Nicholas Farrell's tempered Claudius. (What a beautiful voice he has!) Ayesha Antoine as Rosacrantz and Ansu Kabia as King Hamlet and the skull-drum-playing gravedigger also put in lively, enjoyable performances.

I found myself questioning whether I had spent my whole life saying (and spelling) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern incorrectly and it wasn't until Marwood pointed out that it was a way of feminising the names that I realised what was going on with that! Those two played by females worked....just. Horatia not so much, although Caroline Martin, who played her, was fantastic. My grumble is that I think Hamlet's best friend needs to be a bloke for it to work. But again, I'm nit picking!  

I find the part of Ophelia is pretty much like that of the leading lady in panto, such as Cinderella or Alice Fitzwarren. Picked for looks, seriously crap lines that often appear out of context within the play and not much coveted by actresses I suspect.  Perhaps I protest a little too much, but you get my drift...

The sword fight, already mentioned by Marwood, was indeed stunning. The shape of the stage was long and narrow and we in the front row on both sides were seriously close to the action. They put a very slightly raised metal floor down, all the way along the middle for the fight - I suspect this may have been to keep the actors from veering off into the audience. (Though Hiddles can whack me with his sword any time! *drink*) This must have taken ages to perfect - it was seriously impressive - lots of thwacking noises, so no plastic blades and Laertes, as already mentioned, was a young RADA graduate without any swashbuckling film experience.

I don't know Tom Hiddleston from the films he is currently making - not my scene - I only know him from the telly - mainly The Night Manager. I was worried I would be disappointed as I wasn't sure of his versatility. Well, wow! He was made for this. He somehow spoke the lines as though they had been written in 2001, not 1601, and was both understated and commanding. Although we were so close I could have touched him (!) I never ever felt I was intruding or encroaching on his space, as can happen in small theatres at times. He received a full standing ovation, thoroughly deserved.

I feel honoured to have seen this and it was worth every single penny.

Ophelia pregnant interesting. Goes with song

Neither was I.....🎭😂they were just.........there!

Interview with Branagh in the Telegraph:

www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/playwrights/kenneth-branagh-interview-tom-hiddleston-always-honest-hamlet/amp/

I am not sure if I believe this bit!

'Rather incredibly, neither he nor Hiddleston seems to have fully anticipated the demand. “I’m very, very surprised at the amount of attention it has got,” he confesses, suavely dressed in dark blue blazer and jeans, still boyish at 56. His leading man even worried there might be empty seats. “We thought we should do a ballot, because we knew he had fans, but Tom was very sweet about it and genuinely asked ‘Do you think we’ll sell out?’”'

Hiddleston sold out the 250 seat Donmar across 70+ performances for Coriolanus - they added an extra week with tickets allocated by ballot at the end of the run due to the demand and did a cinema broadcast that reportedly sold 600,000 tickets, and then had an encore showing. Coriolanus is certainly more obscure than Hamlet and Josie Rourke is not a household name as a director. And that was before The Night Manager.

The idea that he's seen as a cerebral rather than an emotional actor is also a bit strange. Maybe if you've only seen The Night Manager you might think that? Maybe he's read too many Gruan commenters calling him 'wooden'? Maybe he's having a crisis of confidence? You couldn't possibly think him cerebral rather than emotional if you've seen him play virtually any other part.

I have been doing my very best to avoid all things Taylor Swift. But I do know what you mean, yes.

It does seem ridiculously disingenuous. I mean, I know actors are often a lot more insecure than they appear, but Hiddleston has that public school boy confidence and I find it hard to believe that even the considerable kicking he has taken in the press this past year has dented it *that* much.

A few pictures courtesy of RADA's Facebook page: Hamlet

Well, frankly, I suspect Chuckles Branagh of being disingenuous/telling porkie pies.