More than hotly anticipated, the National Theatre Live’s HAMLET at The Barbican, became the fastest selling ticket in London theatrical history.
Lyndsey Turner’s production is towering, bleak and imposing and uses a slightly bridge and shifted text.
As the Prince of Denmark Benedict Cumberbatch is sensational. He gives a finely nuanced an d multi-faceted performance.
Dressed in contemporary casual at the beginning, we first see him in a room in the castle going through trunks of his father’s things. It is hard to tell if his madness is feigned or not. At times he is intensely coiled and wound up, barely in control. The famous monologues are delivered wonderfully, seemingly fresh and new-minted.
This is an incredibly demanding portrayal and at one point during his madness we see Cumberbatch march, dressed as a toy soldier Grenadier, on top of a long table.
In one of this production’s interesting choices, Cumberbatch also gets to play the murderous brother who would be king in the play within the play of the Murder of Gonzago.
The scenes between Hamlet and Ophelia are stunning. Their relationship falls apart because they can’t communicate in the intense spy-and spied-upon environment of Elsinore. When Cumberbatch’s mad Hamlet hisses “Get thee to a nunnery,” to Ophelia he does so more out of an intense sorrow than in anger– and it almost breaks his spirit too.
His best friend Horatio, manly, vibrant, caring and loyal, is wonderfully played by Leo Bill.
Gentle, refined Ophelia is beautifully played by Sian Brooke with her huge, expressive eyes. Sian’s Ophelia is an artist, a photographer, and we meet her taking photos of a tossed wine cup on a rug. She is demure and loving in the opening scenes with Polonius and Laertes, fragile yet aware of the ominous happenings at Elsinore – she is a co-conspirator with Hamlet, feverishly helping him with quick changes for his ‘antic disposition ‘ at one point until she descends into madness.
Anastasia Hille portrays Queen Gertrude as mostly elegant, icy and aloof in public, yet when she is alone this veneer cracks especially during the famous ‘closet’ scene.
Ciaran Hinds, with his long lugubrious face, looking like Mafia Don, is an imposing King Claudius. He impeccably delivers the monologue where the King admits his guilt and questions his faith. The shifting power and corruption within his Court are well depicted.
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is thrilling as Ophelia’s brother, Laertes. His gentle, loving, protective talk to Ophelia is contrasted with his pain and anguish in her mad scenes. His fury at Polonius and Ophelia’s deaths is well portrayed. The sword fight at the end is splendid.
Tall, hulking Karl Johnson looms ominously as the ghost of Hamlet’s father in an eerie performance.
Jim Norton plays the pompous, earnest Polonius, a man who is portrayed as only trying to do his best. Polonius’ set speech to Laertes is played straight, and not for laughs, which sometimes is the case.
Es Devlin’s extraordinary atmospheric set is a huge , sinister and haunted house/castle. It is a little like a bleak, turbulent and windblown Surrealistic nightmare.
Katrina Lindsay’s costumes also have a great impact. Gertrude in the opening wedding feast scene wears an incredible Erte-like feathered headdress that just demands one’s attention.
A hypnotic, compelling revival of this great play. Screening time 3 hours and 40 minutes. The film has one interval and there is also an interview by Melvyn Bragg where he talks to Cumberbatch.
NT Live HAMLET is currently screening at the Palace Chauvel cinema. Session times are this Wednesday at 12.30pm, this Saturday at 3.45pm and this Sunday at 5pm.