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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2016 7:12:59 GMT
Saw this the other night, thought it was great - big improvement on the last Hamlet I saw.
I think this is the first production I've seen where it's not been cast around a big star name in the lead role. and also the lead is close to student age (25). Essiedu is excellent and I'm sure will go on to big things.
The rest of the cast is almost entirely black - the only exceptions being Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and a couple of very minor parts. Setting is a present-day war-torn African state, with Claudius and Gertrude vaguely reminiscent of the Mugabes. This works well and it's a very clear production plot-wise.
Running time about 3 hours 15 including interval.
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Post by DuchessConstance on Mar 24, 2016 10:20:45 GMT
Agreed. The settings works so well, it feels like an obvious choice. I liked that they nicked one little moment from the Doran/Tennant Hamlet though; a few people commented on it.
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Post by maggiem on Mar 24, 2016 11:03:50 GMT
Which bit did they nick?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2016 11:21:30 GMT
I assume Constance means the pre-interval cliffhanger - ends with Hamlet deciding whether or not to kill Claudius while he's praying |
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Post by DuchessConstance on Mar 24, 2016 11:50:03 GMT
Yes - can't be faffed doing spoilers on phone, sorry!
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Post by moelhywel on Mar 29, 2016 22:38:12 GMT
Just back from seeing this and really enjoyed it. I agree with the previous posters that using a nearly all black cast and setting it in Africa works really well. Papa Essiedu was excellent as Hamlet and for the first time I didn't find Ophelia came over as a drip. She was much more feisty than usual. Loved the way they did the sword fight at the end.
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Post by David J on Jun 1, 2016 22:25:08 GMT
Got to agree this is a great production. It felt natural in the African setting and Simon Godwin didn't go overboard with any directorial ideas (unlike Lyndsey Turner and David Farr).
Pappa Essiedu's acting was natural and believable as the young prince. A great actor with a bright future. I can't wait to see his Edmund in King Lear
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Post by maggiem on Jun 2, 2016 9:04:12 GMT
I'm looking forward to the cinema screening next week.
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Post by kathryn on Jun 8, 2016 22:01:05 GMT
Anyone else see this tonight? I liked it a lot - Paapa Essiedu clearly has a very bright future ahead of him.
Only thing I didn't like was Gertrude, and I'm not entirely sure why. The performance just didn't work for me.
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Post by demelza on Jun 8, 2016 22:27:02 GMT
I saw it tonight at the theatre itself (back row of the gods)! This was my first time seeing Hamlet live and my god - I thought it was incredible! Essiedeu absolutely blew me away - he's got an incredible career ahead of him, I'm sure.
I wasn't particularly keen on Gertrude either! She seemed to rush quite a few of her lines.
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Post by Polly1 on Jun 8, 2016 22:39:17 GMT
Saw it in cinema (470 seats, about 30 of which were occupied), loved it all. Some really lovely touches and thought provoking moments, such energy. Overall costume design, esp in last scene, stunning. No, didn't like Gertrude either. Laertes was amazing and amazingly beautiful (am I allowed to say that?!) I will be watching out for him in the future. Some sound problems with mics but didn't really detract. Bravo RSC.
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Post by kathryn on Jun 9, 2016 8:05:00 GMT
I agree on Laertes! Must keep an eye out for him as well as Paapa. Oddly I preferred when the sound when the mic problems kicked in - the voice sounded a lot more naturally like how it does in a theatre.
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Post by lynette on Aug 5, 2016 10:28:55 GMT
Late to the party but better late than never.
This works on the whole as long as you don't delve too deeply into their motivations. They are trying to examine the idea of disjoint between someone who has gone abroad and absorbed another culture or 'philosophy' and then finds his home rooted in the old ways, in this case, corrupt and inward looking and stupid ( Claudius no idea how to rule re Fortinbras deception )
Ophelia brilliant. I liked Gertrude, stupid yet loving. They add a controversial touch in bedroom scene I've not seen before. It works here. Yes, they pinch the interval idea. Makes the first half very long. Best ghost I've seen for a while but he didn't cut it as grave digger. That scene is so wink and dig at the English spoken by English being a Dane...if you see what I mean. Like you really are only allowed to make jokes against yourself, yourself. All the minor parts excellent, sex changes no problem.
Hamlet, yes he had his own take on this. He spoke as he thinks an ordinary lad would speak. Maybe this is how he speaks... Most of the speeches well thought out though a bit rushed. What I'm left thinking is why did he have to wait until they decided to make an African Hamlet before he could play this part. We've had a nice black Henry V etc so methinks this is somewhat old fashioned despite the attempt at relevance. I dunno, the topic is fraught with danger but if we are going for a race/colour blind theatre then let the guy play Romeo, a few princes, a couple of comic parts ( think he might be good with comedy as he had a nice thing going with the audience) Discussion no doubt to be continued.
One thing: I was sitting near a big American student group which included a black guy, an observant Jew and several opinionated young women with their English lecturers. I felt proud that they were seeing this production. So , yes, job done.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 11:58:50 GMT
if we are going for a race/colour blind theatre then let the guy play Romeo, a few princes, a couple of comic parts ( think he might be good with comedy as he had a nice thing going with the audience) Discussion no doubt to be continued. He's going to be playing Edmund in King Lear - in fact looks like quite a few of the Hamlet cast will be in that. |
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Post by PalelyLaura on Aug 5, 2016 13:38:12 GMT
I liked Gertrude, stupid yet loving. They add a controversial touch in bedroom scene I've not seen before. It works here. I liked that moment with Gertrude in the bedroom scene. Felt really unusual. Also loved how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern turned up in Elsinore with a tin of shortbread and a teapot shaped like a red postbox :-D Early in the play I saw that one of the 'love tokens' Hamlet supposedly gave to Ophelia was a T-shirt with 'H  O' written on it. I had to stifle a giggle as it reminded me so much of Tom Hiddleston's godawful 'I T.S.' T-shirt. |
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Post by Jan on Aug 5, 2016 18:59:18 GMT
Wonder why they're not transferring this to the Barbican instead of some of that minority' interest Jacobean stuff that will have an audience of 300 if they're lucky. Of course Sher's ridiculous and tedious (I'm guessing) King Lear is transferring in order for him to qualify for an Olivier award.
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Post by cirque on Aug 12, 2016 10:55:02 GMT
maybe Barbican had enough Hamlet with last years extended run of Cumberbatch....only so many want to see yet another Hamlet.
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Post by lynette on Aug 13, 2016 12:38:02 GMT
The Barbican stage is so wide it kills most stuff.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2016 12:44:00 GMT
Wonder why they're not transferring this to the Barbican instead of some of that minority' interest Jacobean stuff that will have an audience of 300 if they're lucky. Of course Sher's ridiculous and tedious (I'm guessing) King Lear is transferring in order for him to qualify for an Olivier award. That's a fair guess, Lear is ALWAYS tedious. |
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Post by Jan on Aug 13, 2016 14:48:21 GMT
The Barbican stage is so wide it kills most stuff. It was fine (and designed for) transfers from the old RST. Transfers from the new thrust stage RST are poor as they just plonk the RST stage shape onto the Barbican stage and this leaves big dead areas at the side and the action mostly takes place in a small square centre stage. What is certain is it will kill these Swan productions they are transferring later this year, seems a bad idea. |
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Post by n1david on May 11, 2017 9:58:00 GMT
Touring at last - Salford, Plymouth, Hull, Newcastle upon Tyne and Northampton between January and March 2018, before transferring to London’s Hackney Empire between 6 and 31 March 2018.
Looking forward to seeing this in Hackney, although after seeing Andrew Scott, Pappa Essiedu has a lot to live up to.
Full dates:
The Lowry, Salford
26 January - 3 February 2018
Theatre Royal Plymouth
6 - 10 February 2018
Hull New Theatre
13 - 17 February 2018
Northern Stage, Newcastle
20 - 24 February 2018
Royal & Derngate, Northampton
27 February - 3 March 2018
Hackney Empire, London
6 - 31 March 2018
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2017 10:05:19 GMT
Yes, Hamlet productions just keep rolling along. In February, David Thacker directs a new production at the Octagon Theatre Bolton, starting just a couple of weeks after the RSC tour opens at the Lowry in Salford.
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Post by Jan on May 11, 2017 12:53:44 GMT
Touring at last - Salford, Plymouth, Hull, Newcastle upon Tyne and Northampton between January and March 2018, before transferring to London’s Hackney Empire between 6 and 31 March 2018. Looking forward to seeing this in Hackney, although after seeing Andrew Scott, Pappa Essiedu has a lot to live up to. Full dates: The Lowry, Salford 26 January - 3 February 2018 Theatre Royal Plymouth 6 - 10 February 2018 Hull New Theatre 13 - 17 February 2018 Northern Stage, Newcastle 20 - 24 February 2018 Royal & Derngate, Northampton 27 February - 3 March 2018 Hackney Empire, London 6 - 31 March 2018 Yes I will go in Hackney, a new venue for me. RSC are very ambitious inviting us to book now for dates in March next year, there will be loads of discount offers when the time comes. |
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2017 12:57:34 GMT
I love the Hackney Empire, it's unnecessarily huge and beautiful. Less enamoured of Hackney though, I'll probably go for a matinee for this one...
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Post by martin1965 on May 11, 2017 15:23:12 GMT
I love the Hackney Empire, it's unnecessarily huge and beautiful. Less enamoured of Hackney though, I'll probably go for a matinee for this one... A sad memory for me as it was where i saw the dreadful WYP production of Lear with Warren Mitchell! Might catch this in Northampton. |
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O' written on it. I had to stifle a giggle as it reminded me so much of Tom Hiddleston's godawful 'I 
