T
wo things to review here; the production and the broadcast.
Firstly, the broadcast, by which I mean the way this was filmed for broadcast and, presumably, for the encore broadcasts coming later. Ignoring the occasional sound issue as this was live and hard to control, I would say that for the first time watching a broadcast live stage I felt that the whole broadcast style was intrusive and detrimental to the show. Why? Well, it was far too filmic, far too concerned with its own visuals.
This was a production on a grand scale, on a massive set and yet we spent most of the time in close-up. The only time I got a sense of the true scale was during the applause at the end. The designer, director and cast were all playing it to the auditorium - that was what this production was designed for - so to spend so much time in close-up, panning and zooming to keep focus, was inappropriate and failed to give the screen audience the experience that the production intended. As I say, this is the first time I have felt this but it was very intrusive ... as a broadcast this would rate but 2*.
But enough of the process, what about the actual production and performance?
Overall I would say this was a brilliant production with a powerful few central performances but perhaps a little weak around the periphery. The set and design are stunning and, as commented above, done on a truly gargantuan scale - impressive in themselves the designs aslo gave the production opportunity for some superb images. But was it too much? Aren't we supposed to find, like Hamlet, that Elisinor in particular and Denmark in general are too small, claustrophobic almost? We did not get that and, because of the camera work, we also did not see the smallness of one man lost in the vastness of his immediate world and its obligations. Great end of the first half though!
Cumberbatch himself is hugely impressive,completely credible and just so damned watchable - you cannot see the art to his acting, he inhabits the role completely and this productions interpretation is one of the most accesible I have seen. Matthew Steer's Rosencrantz and Rudi Dharmalingam's Guildenstren were spot on and Karl Johnson's gravedigger a delight but Horatio (Leo Bill) and Ophelia (Sian Brooke) did not ring true for me, direction rather than actual performance in those cases I'm thinking. Jim Norton's Polonius, Anastasia Hille's Gertrude (too young to be Hamlet's mother surely?!) and Ciaran Hinds' Claudius all gave strong, rounded performances and the remainder of the core cast stepped right up to the mark so that this production, although very long, whipped by without flagging. Some of the minor parts were less well portrayed and close-ups revealed that though seen on stage they may well have worked better.
Do I need the final Fortinbras entrance and speech? No. Interesting to see it but like many I prefer an Hamlet with less Norwegian even though it removes one of the sub-plots and a balancing angst-ridden royal son. Did it spoil it for me? Heck no!
A brilliant night of theatre but I would have prefered to see it live to have understood the scale of the piece as intended.
I will watch this again, despite my comments as overall its a genuinely great production with a very strong heart
