26/12/09, BBC 2
A Boxing Day telly version of the RSC's recent Hamlet starring the BBC's current superstar, David Tennant (who was all over the Christmas schedules in everything from this and Doctor Who to Desert Island Discs), thus giving those of us who missed it in the theatre (because we couldn't get tickets or because he got ill at the start of the London run and had to withdraw) a chance to see what all the fuss was about.
Penelope, whose enthusiasm for Tennant knows no bounds, has penned a review which I shall paste in immediately below. Before reading it I'll say that Tennant makes a fine Hamlet, and catches the man's antic disposition perfectly, pretending madness with tremendous wit and playfulness. He picks the text apart with almost Russell Beale-like intelligence, but lacks Russell Beale's way with the soliloquies: the superlative Simon seemed to me making it up as he went along, a Renaissance humanist philosopher at once fascinated and appalled by the directions his introspection took him in; the divine David looked tortured and spoke the lines prettily, but remained just a fine actor acting. But I did get a powerful sense from this production of just how impossible Hamlet finds action, and quite what a dreadful king that would have made him: both his father and his uncle would, you feel, have had Claudius for toast within 24 hours of the chat with the ghost.
Patrick Stewart was an equally fine and Machiavellian Claudius (I especially liked his "so it goes" little shrug when presented in the final scene with the poisoned cup); Penny Downie was a sexy Gertrude; Oliver Ford Davies a simply marvellous and definitive Polonius.
Greg Doran the director seemed to have made minimal changes for television, and those he had presumably made weren't entirely helpful. The occasional shots through Big Brother CCTV cameras didn't quite fit with the 1960s dress of the court and Hamlet's business with an 8mm cine camera during the play scene (we saw part of the play through Hamlet's camera too). But then Tennant's jeans, trainers and beanie hat in the graveyard scene, in which he looked every inch the noughties student, didn't fit with the prevailing aesthetic either and that, to judge from the publicity photos, was in the original stage production.
And it was a brave decision, I thought, given that this was family viewing time at Christmas, to leave in Tennant's shamelessly blunt take on the Elizabethan double meaning in "country matters". I wonder if they'll get complaints.
And now here's Penelope:
Hamlet was the first production I saw this year, twice, and so it’s fitting for me that it should also be the last, this time on television. One of the many magical things about theatre is that it’s live – the action unfolds in front of you. So, I was slightly apprehensive watching this production – filmed over several weeks this summer and reuniting the principal members of the RSC cast. But every time I see Hamlet, my understanding of the play is enhanced. This managed the delicate balancing act of TV and theatre without a false or clumsy note. The stage is replaced by a handful of key sites, but the essence of the original production remains; all smoke and mirrors, glitzy chandeliers, gorgeous costumes and a sense of impending doom. Added to this is a new theme of surveillance. Hamlet is often watched, and often by those who wish him harm. So there are CCTV cameras everywhere and the audience becomes the camera’s eye at several key moments. As a device, I thought it worked well.
David Tennant is Hamlet. And it’s an extraordinary performance. In the theatre, you get a distant view of the actors and you see them from only one perspective. In television, you get close ups and see them from different angles. In this case, it really helps the storytelling. Tennant has the range for Hamlet – at times quiet and tender, anguished, confused, outraged and in feigning madness. He acts with his entire body, not just that hyper-expressive face but with arms and legs too. During the ‘coward speech’ where he’s trying to decide how to deal with Claudius, he moves around the set, bare foot, waving his arms, beating his chest, covering his face while talking about his dear murdered father. Hamlets are judged by how they deliver the famous “To be or not to be speech”. I thought it was an incredibly brave decision by the director, Gregory Doran, to film the beginning of this from behind, in silhouette. So as Tennant, very quietly, starts “To be…..” we can’t see his full face. What we have are the words. And they are such powerful words. Hamlet is wretched, he cannot decide if it’s better to live or die. As he starts to ruminate about sleep and death, the camera turns to his face and Tennant looks and it (and us) as he talks about shuffling off this mortal coil. The effect was breathtaking.
Hamlet pretends to be mad in order to expose Claudius as his father’s killer. Claudius (and the father) are both again played be Patrick Stewart, who is majestic, and makes Shakespearean verse sound like normal speech. Polonius has to be one of the most irritating and amusing characters and Oliver Ford Davies accomplishes both wit and grief with aplomb. I found myself once more enjoying Peter de Jersey as the ever faithful Horatio and Mariah Gale shines as Ophelia.
Betrayal, madness, murder, loyalty and love – these are the central themes of the play. Many of the play’s central characters are dead by the end. As Hamlet lies dying in the arms of Horatio, Tennant should be able to wring a tear from the hardest heart with “If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story”.
Hamlet may not be conventional Boxing Day fare, but this production is very special. One can only hope that the RSC and David Tennant are reunited before too long.
Showing posts with label patrick stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patrick stewart. Show all posts
Monday, 28 December 2009
Friday, 22 May 2009
WAITING FOR GODOT
20/5/09, Haymarket
Written by Penelope:
What is Waiting for Godot about? This question has puzzled audiences since the publication of Samuel Beckett's play in 1949. Each production has its own interpretation and creates its own sense of meaning. The current Haymarket version, directed by Sean Mathias, stars Sir Ian Mckellan as Gogo and Patrick Stewart as Didi. The two old friends are down on their luck and wait, every day, for the appearance of Godot.
Stewart and Mckellan are both extraordinary. The chemistry between the two actors is visible. Their synchronised body language, tap of their bowler hats and easy banter aren't just because both are fabulous actors. They have a genuine warmth and fondness for each other which Gogo and Didi have, despite the bickering. It's like watching a long-term couple who argue but are also lost without each other.
Mckellan plays Gogo as a man with dementia. His forgetfulness, vulnerability and dependence are heart-breaking at times. He acts with his entire body; from the sore-old-man gait, to his tiny hand gestures and his bright, shining, hopeful eyes. Stewart's performance is more youthful - he tenderly protects his old friend and wants to look after him, while at the same time finding him infuriating. Didi seems more knowing, wiser and is the 'care-giver'. When he sings Gogo a lullaby to soothe him to sleep, its almost unbearably moving. As ever, Stewart's diction is superb. The rhythm of Beckett's language comes to the foreground - the clever, clear and ironic lines flow freely from both actors.
The one bad note of the night is Simon Callow as Pozzo. Granted, it's not a character with whom to find sympathy. But Callow seems altogether too pleased with himself and is more of a circus clown than a tragic figure. Ronald Pickup's tragic Lucky is pitch-perfect and pathetic.
There is a huge contrast between the first and second half of the play. The first moves quickly and has a sense of fun. The second act plays up the pathos, the fundamental crisis of the human existence. Why are we here, what's it all about? The audience seemed to find the switch uncomfortable and there were a lot of nervous laughs during some of the most moving speeches in the second act.
For me the magic of the play is that what you think it's about depends on who you are and how you see the world. For an optimist, it doesn't matter that Godot never seems to come, the anticipation, the preparation and the life in the meantime is the important thing. For a pessimist, the question could be: What is the point of human life when you're waiting for someone or something which never comes and which there is no point in hoping for?
I went with two companions and we had very different views on this. But we were all touched. We shared the evening but it was also a profound personal experience. And the play does stay with you - that night I dreamt of Didi and Gogo debating the meaning of life and even three days later, some of the lines have stayed with me: "To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late!"
Written by Penelope:
What is Waiting for Godot about? This question has puzzled audiences since the publication of Samuel Beckett's play in 1949. Each production has its own interpretation and creates its own sense of meaning. The current Haymarket version, directed by Sean Mathias, stars Sir Ian Mckellan as Gogo and Patrick Stewart as Didi. The two old friends are down on their luck and wait, every day, for the appearance of Godot.
Stewart and Mckellan are both extraordinary. The chemistry between the two actors is visible. Their synchronised body language, tap of their bowler hats and easy banter aren't just because both are fabulous actors. They have a genuine warmth and fondness for each other which Gogo and Didi have, despite the bickering. It's like watching a long-term couple who argue but are also lost without each other.
Mckellan plays Gogo as a man with dementia. His forgetfulness, vulnerability and dependence are heart-breaking at times. He acts with his entire body; from the sore-old-man gait, to his tiny hand gestures and his bright, shining, hopeful eyes. Stewart's performance is more youthful - he tenderly protects his old friend and wants to look after him, while at the same time finding him infuriating. Didi seems more knowing, wiser and is the 'care-giver'. When he sings Gogo a lullaby to soothe him to sleep, its almost unbearably moving. As ever, Stewart's diction is superb. The rhythm of Beckett's language comes to the foreground - the clever, clear and ironic lines flow freely from both actors.
The one bad note of the night is Simon Callow as Pozzo. Granted, it's not a character with whom to find sympathy. But Callow seems altogether too pleased with himself and is more of a circus clown than a tragic figure. Ronald Pickup's tragic Lucky is pitch-perfect and pathetic.
There is a huge contrast between the first and second half of the play. The first moves quickly and has a sense of fun. The second act plays up the pathos, the fundamental crisis of the human existence. Why are we here, what's it all about? The audience seemed to find the switch uncomfortable and there were a lot of nervous laughs during some of the most moving speeches in the second act.
For me the magic of the play is that what you think it's about depends on who you are and how you see the world. For an optimist, it doesn't matter that Godot never seems to come, the anticipation, the preparation and the life in the meantime is the important thing. For a pessimist, the question could be: What is the point of human life when you're waiting for someone or something which never comes and which there is no point in hoping for?
I went with two companions and we had very different views on this. But we were all touched. We shared the evening but it was also a profound personal experience. And the play does stay with you - that night I dreamt of Didi and Gogo debating the meaning of life and even three days later, some of the lines have stayed with me: "To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late!"
Saturday, 10 January 2009
HAMLET, RSC
London transfer, with and without David Tennant
(Written by Penelope)
I liked Edward Bennett, I really did. He was a good Hamlet. (Bennett was understudy for David Tennant, who was absent from the RSC's London run of Hamlet for three weeks, while Tennant had an operation on a prolapsed disc). Bennett was clear, focussed, his 'To Be or Not To Be...' was moving and effective. I believed in his love for Ophelia, his love for Gertrude and his death scene made several people in the audience around me cry.
I was incredibly lucky, though, a week after seeing Edward Bennett to see David Tennant play the role.I don't mean to be cruel, but the two actors really are in a different league. Bennett shows promise and has poise. Tennant is an actor who makes you suspend your disbelief, forget where you are and who inhabits a part. He doesn't just speak the verse, he becomes the words and the emotions in it. It was the most extraordinary performance I've ever seen at the theatre (the only other that comes close was seeing Patrick Stewart play Macbeth a year ago).
So what was so special? Tennant shows an understanding of Shakespeare and of the part that makes you forget he's best known for playing a 900-year-old Time Lord. He seemed to absorb all the joys and miseries of Hamlet and make them his own. His descent into madness was both moving and very funny. He manages to make 400 year old verse sound contemporary and fresh. Watching his 'To Be or Not To Be' was amazing - there was such a spontaneity that it was as if Hamlet were formulating his thoughts about what he should do right in front of your eyes. He convinces you that he feels every emotion and and that the revelations in the final duelling scene are making his heart break.
He's very physical and athletic, he moves around the stage a lot, but his Hamlet is more than just about perpetual movement; it's about the words. From his acerbic disapproval of his mother's marriage to his uncle -- "I shall in all my best obey you, madam" -- to his preposterous labelling of Polonius as a 'fishmonger' and finally, his wretched, premature death -- "I thou didst ever hold me in thy heart" -- all of these were delivered in such a convincing way that you were whisked into another, darker world and made to not only understand, but feel the meaning of the verse.
He plays to the audience but also to his fellow actors. David Tennant's impact on the other members of the cast was also very marked. Oliver Ford Davies, who played Polonius, was described by one critic as the best ever in that role. He was good with Edward Bennett. But against Tennant's Hamlet, he was funnier, louder, bigger, sadder, more tragic, more exasperated and more loveable. Hamlet's accidental murder of Polonius was somehow more tragic in the Tennant version. Penny Downie as Gertrude was different too -- their scene in her chamber was so tender and passionate that it was almost painful to watch. Her later realisation that Claudius had duped her and that her son had been right was shocking in its intensity. And with Tennant, Hamlet's love for his faithful friend Horatio (Peter De Jersey) was palpable.
Patrick Stewart was magnificent in both versions, but his interaction with Tennant's mocking Hamlet sent shivers up your spine. Seeing two talented Shakespearean actors playing against one another was joyous.
If I wanted to be critical, I would say that years of television mean that Tennant needs to work on projecting his voice better. A couple of times he was almost inaudible to those sitting in the upper tiers of the theatre. And while I found his grief for Ophelia at her graveside astonishingly affecting, I wasn't entirely convinced by his love for her in their earlier scenes together. But overall, I would say that I can't quite believe my luck that I managed to have a ticket to see one of the most magical performances from an actor who is clearly on top of his game and who promises so much more in the years to come.
And while I'm not exactly a screaming teenager, I would say that David Tennant really has amazing talents and is so much more than Dr Who, wonderful as he is in that role. If I were the RSC, I'd line him up now to play Macbeth in 5-10 years.
(Written by Penelope)
I liked Edward Bennett, I really did. He was a good Hamlet. (Bennett was understudy for David Tennant, who was absent from the RSC's London run of Hamlet for three weeks, while Tennant had an operation on a prolapsed disc). Bennett was clear, focussed, his 'To Be or Not To Be...' was moving and effective. I believed in his love for Ophelia, his love for Gertrude and his death scene made several people in the audience around me cry.
I was incredibly lucky, though, a week after seeing Edward Bennett to see David Tennant play the role.I don't mean to be cruel, but the two actors really are in a different league. Bennett shows promise and has poise. Tennant is an actor who makes you suspend your disbelief, forget where you are and who inhabits a part. He doesn't just speak the verse, he becomes the words and the emotions in it. It was the most extraordinary performance I've ever seen at the theatre (the only other that comes close was seeing Patrick Stewart play Macbeth a year ago).
So what was so special? Tennant shows an understanding of Shakespeare and of the part that makes you forget he's best known for playing a 900-year-old Time Lord. He seemed to absorb all the joys and miseries of Hamlet and make them his own. His descent into madness was both moving and very funny. He manages to make 400 year old verse sound contemporary and fresh. Watching his 'To Be or Not To Be' was amazing - there was such a spontaneity that it was as if Hamlet were formulating his thoughts about what he should do right in front of your eyes. He convinces you that he feels every emotion and and that the revelations in the final duelling scene are making his heart break.
He's very physical and athletic, he moves around the stage a lot, but his Hamlet is more than just about perpetual movement; it's about the words. From his acerbic disapproval of his mother's marriage to his uncle -- "I shall in all my best obey you, madam" -- to his preposterous labelling of Polonius as a 'fishmonger' and finally, his wretched, premature death -- "I thou didst ever hold me in thy heart" -- all of these were delivered in such a convincing way that you were whisked into another, darker world and made to not only understand, but feel the meaning of the verse.
He plays to the audience but also to his fellow actors. David Tennant's impact on the other members of the cast was also very marked. Oliver Ford Davies, who played Polonius, was described by one critic as the best ever in that role. He was good with Edward Bennett. But against Tennant's Hamlet, he was funnier, louder, bigger, sadder, more tragic, more exasperated and more loveable. Hamlet's accidental murder of Polonius was somehow more tragic in the Tennant version. Penny Downie as Gertrude was different too -- their scene in her chamber was so tender and passionate that it was almost painful to watch. Her later realisation that Claudius had duped her and that her son had been right was shocking in its intensity. And with Tennant, Hamlet's love for his faithful friend Horatio (Peter De Jersey) was palpable.
Patrick Stewart was magnificent in both versions, but his interaction with Tennant's mocking Hamlet sent shivers up your spine. Seeing two talented Shakespearean actors playing against one another was joyous.
If I wanted to be critical, I would say that years of television mean that Tennant needs to work on projecting his voice better. A couple of times he was almost inaudible to those sitting in the upper tiers of the theatre. And while I found his grief for Ophelia at her graveside astonishingly affecting, I wasn't entirely convinced by his love for her in their earlier scenes together. But overall, I would say that I can't quite believe my luck that I managed to have a ticket to see one of the most magical performances from an actor who is clearly on top of his game and who promises so much more in the years to come.
And while I'm not exactly a screaming teenager, I would say that David Tennant really has amazing talents and is so much more than Dr Who, wonderful as he is in that role. If I were the RSC, I'd line him up now to play Macbeth in 5-10 years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)