'Hamlet' is one of Shakespeare's most famous and most lauded plays, and one can see why with such memorable characters, some of the most deservedly famous in all literature, and text often quoted and referenced to this day. It is a long play and not easy to perform at all, but the characterisation, language and complex emotions have always riveted me and it has always been one of my favourites from Shakespeare.
While there is a lot to admire about this production, a large part of me thought that it could have been much better as well. Am not going to gush over it as much as one reviewer respectfully, have seen better 'Hamlet' productions though the performance of Hamlet himself is one of the best and most insightful seen. At the same time, while having a few big reservations do find it much better than has been said by the other, again respectfully.
The good things will be started off with. First and foremost, Rory Kinnear is superb as Hamlet. Not only disappearing into this difficult role but clearly showing that he understood it with the nuances and intensity that one doesn't always see in other interpretations, so the viewer understands the character and his motivations. Most of the rest of the cast do very well too and actually most of this review's high rating is for the performances, David Calder's Polonius is one of the better ones and one where the character is not painted in a demeaning light but instead the devoted but also scheming character that he is with some comic timing as well. James Laurenson is also among the best in the role of the Ghost, noble yet also spooky (he doubles too as the Player King in one of the more interesting interpretations of that role). Patrick Malahide is a serpentine Claudius, and it was actually a good thing that this was not a production that didn't try to humanise him or make him more complex. Clare Higgins is a powerfully conflicted Gertrude and brings more of a fleshed out interpretation to a character that is not as interesting as Higgins makes her.
Act 1 was often riveting and there were scenes that were done well. Absolutely loved the Mousetrap scene, very surprising and so entertaining with some of the best use of mime for anything in a long time. Hamlet's grave scene was very moving. Hamlet himself throughout is directed in a way that like Kinnear's performance director Nicholas Hytner understood the character and his way of thinking/motivations. Fleshing out Gertrude also came off well, and it was great that Hytner and Calder understood the role of Polonius and the theme he represents in how appearance and reality contrast.
On the other hand, was not completely crazy about the production values. While Hamlet is a dark play, the production did not look appealing and the minimalist look was indicative of under-budget. Costumes like Gertrude's veered on tacky. A couple of the performances don't register as much. Alex Lanipekun's Laertes is completely flat and Giles Terera veered on being too sympathetic as Horatio. Ruth Negga, in one of the few interpretations of Orphelia to not make me feel anything for her, is let down by her stage direction in one of the production's biggest misjudgments. Maybe Hytner was trying to make Orphelia more interesting or something, but trying to "sex her up" was taken too far which cheapened the character and took away from her poignancy, did not see the point in the changed circumstances of the character's death and the insanity was overacted and under-directed.
Some interesting ideas here, but the oppressive idea that tended to dominate the production, despite moments of tension and intrigue, could have been followed through all the way and at other times could have been handled with more restraint.
Concluding, a lot of good things here but some serious shortcomings too. 7/10 for mainly the performances (particularly Kinnear)
