Review of 'Hamlet'
(SPOILER ALERT!)
...About whether this production is incredible! An absolutely
astounding performance delighted the audience on Saturday at the Barbican
Theatre (London) where I watched the latest production of 'Hamlet', starring Benedict Cumberbatch
(Hamlet), Ciarán Hinds (Claudius), Matthew Steer (Rosencrantz) and Anastasia
Hille (Gertrude). In one of the Bard's most classic tragedies, we find young
Hamlet stricken with grief of his father's death, struggling with his family's
turmoil. The young prince is then sent into a tragic plot of revenge, ruin and
bloodlust that threatens both his sanity and his life.
Firstly, the staging was spectacular - a cavernous manor house dining room, come ball room size setting with a grand sweeping staircase lining the left of the stage. It was rich in colour, elegance and style with antlers and deer heads coating the walls, along with grand portraits of former kings of Denmark. This gave the play an authentic, spectacular feel, truly embracing the idea of 'removing the fourth wall' despite the classic, theatrical script.
Overall the production lived up to its hype. With tickets
sold out a year in advance and A-list star Benedict Cumberbatch as the
play's heartbeat, the production had high expectations to live up to.
Miraculously it succeeded. Firstly, the staging was spectacular - a cavernous manor house dining room, come ball room size setting with a grand sweeping staircase lining the left of the stage. It was rich in colour, elegance and style with antlers and deer heads coating the walls, along with grand portraits of former kings of Denmark. This gave the play an authentic, spectacular feel, truly embracing the idea of 'removing the fourth wall' despite the classic, theatrical script.
After the interval, the stage was consumed with rubble and debris, creating a 'battlefield' look - the house seemingly full of death
and destruction to reflect the family's position of undisputed turmoil and
treachery. It wasn't only the set that was stunning, so were the costumes. From wedding gowns of jewels, lace
and feathers to army uniforms of gold with stunningly elaborate detail. Yet perhaps
the simplest costume was arguably the most striking - Hamlet's modernisation
himself: often wearing a simple black cotton jumper or even a hoodie!
The lighting also enhanced the unashamed theatricality of
the production, for example the use of shadow created a wonderful emphasis on
character intentions vs their actions. For example, Hamlet stood up on the
staircase with his dagger raised as he struggled with his desire to kill the
praying Claudius below - despite there being meters between the actors, the shadows
were mere millimetres away from one another. This clever use of light added an extra dimension to the
play, highlighting the questions of insanity, mind, conscience and action. It also created a rich, gothic-horror undertone, for example when
Claudius revealed his plans to have Hamlet murdered in England, the light
cast villainous shadows against the ornate walls. Furthermore, when the ghost
of Hamlet's father visited him, eerie silhouetted tree-like projections framed
the scene, not to mention the dark hallways adding spine-chilling depth to the cavernous
stage, enhancing the play's embrace of the supernatural.
The actors themselves were exquisite. Sian Brooke (Ophelia)
created a beautifully tragic story of confused love interest to ghostly,
sinister victim of the play's events - even singing about her father's death in
a floaty black lace dress which enhanced her sinister, tragic qualities. Villainous
Ciarán Hinds perfected the role of Claudius - from supposedly trusting uncle to murderous
traitor, subtly building up the worry and cunning ambition of the devilish fiend superbly.
The production was also unafraid of incorporating contemporary
themes and techniques to enhance the visual impacts of the plot. For example, surreal contemporary/ballet style choreography
was integrated into the final Act when Hamlet kills Laertes. The combination of spotlighting
in slow motion the fatal blow, whilst the rest of the cast on stage were left
in darkness performing a ghostly routine, created a truly spectacular
climax to the play as Hamlet sunk further into the pit of death and gore. By
entwining graceful movement with horrific action, the scene was absolutely breath-taking, and felt like an out-of-body experience - to see something so strange
yet perfectly balanced as Hamlet's impending doom was thrust upon him.
And now to the man himself. Cumberbatch's entire performance
was electrifying! The pace, energy and ferocity with which he encapsulated the
role was astounding. Every line was uttered with perfect clarity, depth of
feeling and musicality that only Shakespeare can provide. He even became the
comic relief during his pretence of madness - creating a hilarious childlike character in a toy
castle with exuberant music. This allowed a wonderful contrast to his tormented, haunted, revenge-stricken
Hamlet which he played to perfection.
Overall: 5 Stars.
A glorious example of the best Britain has to offer. A fantastic cast, staging, set, lighting, music and of course play writing. I cannot express enough how much I would urge anyone and everyone (particularly those who love excellent Shakespeare) to see the production. This can be done by heading down to the Barbican's box office to try and nab one of the golden '£10 day tickets' (only 30 are sold a day). Get there early though as they won't hang around long for this truly 'insane' show!
(Alternatively, Hamlet will be broadcast live in cinemas on 15th October 2015 keep an eye out for it!)
Check out the page on Google+
