Hamlet - Young Vic

[cavocado]

I saw this last week and loved it. Cush Jumbo was superb and most of the ensemble did a good job, especially Norah Lopez Holden as Ophelia (first time I've seen her and will look out for her future work), and Joseph Marcell as Polonius: I particularly liked his self-awareness about his over-protectiveness and pedantry. The Hamlet/Ophelia relationship was also set up strongly with the dancing scene.

I liked Tara Fitzgerald. A clever performance, seeming quite glacial and businesslike, but there were little facial expressions and gestures where the mask dropped and you could see her distress. It seemed logical she appeared so cold - the shock of being newly widowed and coerced into a political marriage, so being numb emotionally made sense.

The Trump comparison is interesting, as I felt it was a very personal Hamlet at the expense of the political element, and I was a bit confused by Adrian Dunbar. I didn't get enough sense of the emotions and character behind the facade to see this as a man who killed his brother, but the idea of a Trump-like character makes some sense, and fits with Tara Fitzgerald's interpretation.

Some good supporting acting, especially the gravedigger, and I liked the way Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were played, although G mumbled some of her lines.

The big pillars/rocks looked a bit plasticky, but worked as battlements and arras, and I liked the way the ghost appeared.

I wonder if this will go on NT at Home at some point.

[Forrest]

I so enjoy reading the impressions on here, because it always amuses me how same things speak so differently to all of us! :)
My mind immediately decided Dunbar was acting (and looking) Trump-like, so I thought he did a really fine job. And perhaps that wasn't the case at all! Also, you are right cavocado and londonpostie that looking at Gertrude as Melania would somewhat explain her behaviour - oddly, however, that did not occur to me! (There should be a facepalm emoji to insert here!)

We all seem to have liked Ophelia, though: she is definitely going on my to-watch list after this, too. I agree that the gravedigger was great, as well. (I wrongly thought it was the same actor who played Polonius, but perhaps I need better glasses. And I wish the YV would do slightly more elaborate cast lists.)

[peggs]

Presumably as there's just a blank next to my arrival time on my ticket I just guess? Have emailed the box office but no response.

[londonpostie]

You just turn up. Capacity is 400 ish.

[peggs]

Thanks. Wouldn't have been concerned only my email says 'arrive at the time on your ticket'.

[peggs]

I've just found an email from a couple of weeks ago with my entry time, so I sit corrected they had told me. On the basis that I'm due to go in a whole ten minutes before it starts I guess I won't be drinking much before hand! Not sure I'm for getting past all the security at the NT which would be my usual toilet stop otherwise.

[cavocado]

NT foyer (and loos) are open to the public now - no ticket needed, just a quick bag check. My entry time for Hamlet was 10 minutes before the start too, but I was earlier and wasn't refused entry

[peggs]

And cancelled due to cast illness. Balls. Said they'll try and get us back in but they're sold out. Where can I go now to not make this is wasted and expensive day?

[londonpostie]

This evening? Check TodayTix - loads of stuff there. Inc. the National Theatre and West End.

My choice tonight would be the Royal Court or Donmar - virtually no where other than the Almeida is sold out. Bargains abound.

[cavocado]

Oh no, sorry to hear that. I hope you get to see it on another date. I'd recommend The Beauty Queen of Leenane at Hammersmith - really enjoyed this. I'm also keen to see White Noise, which has had good reviews and I see is discounted on Todaytix.

[Forrest]

Oct 16, 2021 13:13:46 GMT peggs said:

And cancelled due to cast illness. Balls. Said they'll try and get us back in but they're sold out. Where can I go now to not make this is wasted and expensive day?

Go to the Donmar peggs , and come say hi if you do if you like! I'll be there with a friend of a friend. :)

Too bad about Hamlet. I hope they manage to re-book you.

EDIT: I just remembered you asked about Hamlet, so, as sort of a heads up... There is a tiny bit of blood in "Love...", nothing really memorable, but there is a decent amount of violence, as the title suggests, in case that is a factor for you.  

[peggs]

Ended up at the royal court or would have come said hi.

They said we'd all get free live stream though have email now saying credit or refund so will see. Since cancelled tonight too think we're all just stuffed. Annoying this was my one ore covid booking that got rolled over.

[stevemar]

I’ve just returned a stalls ticket for tonight (Mon 18), if anyone is quick on their website. Plus I can see one or two tickets available this week currently.

[peggs]

Thanks, out of my prize range sadly.

[andrew]

Oct 16, 2021 13:13:46 GMT peggs said:

And cancelled due to cast illness. Balls. Said they'll try and get us back in but they're sold out. Where can I go now to not make this is wasted and expensive day?

So I was supposed to be at this performance as well, except like a lot of people outside the venue at 6.45 the email went into our junk folders. Some had travelled across the country to be there, many leaving after the show was cancelled. I understand ringing around hundreds of people is labour intensive but with lots of other companies using SMS messaging for urgent updates (things like changes to flights etc), it's not like there aren't other options. We were just lucky that because it was a 7pm show and we were able bodied we could dash across to the west end to walk into a box office elsewhere.

[marob]

Just had to return a ticket for this myself. Gutted as I’d been looking forward to it since booking nearly two and a half years ago.

[stevemar]

Same here, but after returning a ticket (and getting credit voucher) managed to find another date and booked. So definitely worth keeping an eye on the booking page if you can go another day.

[peggs]

I wish their website would update, it's been showing limited availability for a few dates but apart from the next few days when you go in just says sold out. Will keep looking but having paid out once for travel etc it already feels like wasted money so don't feel able to shell out £20-30 more to upgrade my ticket.

andrew that's worse for the evening, at least we got the impression at the matinee that they'd literally just made the decision. I suppose since the covid rules on whole crews isolating I had assumed things were fairly safe even if you might lose an odd actor so for probably the first time I hadn't assumed it wouldn't happen like I had with anything else I've seen.

[crowblack]

You could try phoning the box office - I did that with a show a couple of years ago that was showing as sold out online but they had a return when I rang. Admittedly it wasn't a hot ticket like this, though.

[peggs]

Any views on balcony seats which are best, nearest stage or further along that side row as angle is better if things played nearer back of stage?

[cavocado]

It's mostly towards the front of the stage. The scenery is several huge blocks taking up the back half of the stage, so sometimes you can see characters appearing from behind the blocks, but most of the action is in front. Sorry, that sounds very unclear - not sure how else to describe it!

[peggs]

andrew check your email if you haven't already for email from young vic

[Forrest]

peggs , if it's of any help, I was P67 and I had an excellent view of the action happening center stage. You lose a bit of the action between/behind the pillars that cavocado mentions, so back part of the stage, but it's a perfectly fine seat for £20.

[peggs]

Thank you

Received an email from young vic and they'd managed to find a few extra seats for a few performances for people who'd got cancelled. For me it's row Q, ahh @forrest the giddy heights of row P! Since I panicked yesterday and bought a different Q seat as the only thing I could afford am really hoping they'll now take it back as it was twice the price. They've also offered free access to a stream and a couple of tickets to something in the next year so very decent of them considering they'll have just done this for two whole shows of punters.

[crowblack]

I watched the livestream last night, though couldn't get it to play on my TV with the http link sent to me when I first booked, so had to do it through my computer. I think it suffered in comparison to the tight, intense and thoroughly emotionally engaging Macbeth we watched online on Wednesday. Hamlet, Ophelia, Polonius and the gravedigger were all great but let down by a production around them that felt very school play, Oxfam costumes that didn't in any way convey power, wealth or court and a really horrible set that managed to overpower the action while adding nothing to it. And, unlike Macbeth, we really felt the 3-hour plus.