Cumberhamlet

[amberdreams]

 On Saturday we went to see the long awaited production of Hamlet starring the inestimable Mr Cumberbatch. Or as someone called him recently when complaining about them 'messing about with Shakespeare' - Benedict Cummerbund. Having bought the tickets over a year ago, it was always going to be a little anticlimactic, but on the whole, I reckoned it was a good production.

The set was fantastic - when it opened up to the main scene at the start, with the long banqueting table and the bare branches hanging down over it, festooned with white flowers and (strangely) stuffed birds and animals - I admit, I was impressed. I was also impressed by Ben's fitness and agility - the effortless way he just stepped up onto said banqueting table when walking around declaiming was impressive. I also find myself envying the way people can kneel on the floor, or just unfold from sitting on the floor with such ease. I used to be able to do that… * sigh…*

So Ben was as good as he should have been, Ophelia was a bit wet, but then she often is, and Polonius was cute, and funny, and looked like my Dad. Which wasn’t a good thing, because when it came to the stabbing behind the arras and I had to watch him die – well, I felt stupid but I couldn’t. So for the rest of that scene I was sitting there with my eyes closed trying not to sniffle with tears streaming down my face. Luckily it stays dark and things carry on for a bit before the interval, which gave me time to find a tissue and mop up, so by the time the lights went up I was under control again.

The second half they brought a ton of rubble into the palace and kept the lighting much darker – it worked surprisingly well. The scene with Gertrude finding Ophelia’s trunk of photos and her camera was nicely done. (Ophelia in the first half was portrayed as a keen photographer). And the fight between Hamlet and Laertes was well done – some stage fighting can look stilted but this was quite full on. My friend couldn’t contain herself at the changes they made to parts of the script – little bits were modernised and slightly dumbed down, and I could hear her muttering the right words! LOL

We didn't go to the stage door after, though apparently he and other cast members are making an appearance even at the matinees, and he's been happily signing autos, which is nice.

Instead we trotted off to have a very nice meal at Pizza Express, followed by a delayed train journey home, and a chat about musicals with a nice elderly couple who our train picked up at Chelmsford when their train broke down (hence the delays).

Now I can’t remember why I decided to write this journal entry – it wasn’t just for the Hamlet report… but I forget the other bit! Damn. Oh well. Never mind.

Comments

[herminekurotowa.livejournal.com]

Oh you lucky girl! Watching Ben on stage must be an event on its own.

There's a Shakespeare festival in the next town every Summer. They perform some of the plays in English, sometimes it's international theatre groups performing, and they even recreated the Globe theatre. And I never went there. :(

So I'd really like to see Romeo & Juliet on stage so I could bawl my eyes out.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

We went to see Romeo and Juliet at the Globe a couple of years ago! It was a very good production. We had great seats for this Hamlet, 2nd row so very close. You should be able catch it at the cinema, they are streaming it sometime later in the year, I think. Check it out.

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I'm glad you mostly enjoyed it, have heard some very sneery things but mostly from very sneery people so I thought it was probably worth seeing. Well done for gettinga ticket, frankly.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I probably wouldn't have bothered trying to get a ticket but a group of online Cumberfan friends were so keen I got swept along. I rate Ben as an actor but am not really a fan, but I do love Hamlet, and I thought this was definitely worth seeing.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

I've been dying to see him in this for ever, it won't ever happen, but still, I got to live vicariously through you, so thank you for that!

I've heard a few shitty remarks from a few people, so it's nice to get a non snarky but honest review from you :)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

There was actually an empty seat next to us - I'm assuming it wasn't unsold though. You can always go to see one of the streamed shows at the cinema.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

That's an idea! Thanks hun :) I'd be going alone, Steve loves me, but not enough for Shakespeare! ;)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Well my view of cinema going is that we are all alone once the lights go down so really whether you are sitting with someone you know or not it doesn't matter... :D

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

This is very true, all though Steve makes a fantastic buffer between people who are eating popcorn too loudly ;)