12 July 2009
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Reviews

Tobias Menzies as Hamlet

Hamlet

Reviewed by Martin Borley
We review Shakespeare's great tragedy - the last play showing at the Royal before the theatre is redeveloped.

Hamlet
Start Date:	17/03/2005
End Date:	03/04/2005
Prices:	adult £6.50 to £28.50 concession £3.50 off (excluding Fri, Sat & Sun evenings)
Genres:	Performing Arts
Venue Name	Royal Theatre
Box Office	01604 624811
website:	http://www.royalandderngate.com/ The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

^{Reviewer's rating: 5/5}

This is your last chance to see the Royal Theatre before it closes for a 14-month redevelopment, and judging from the state of the décor as you enter the foyer and auditorium, the place badly needs a call to Changing Rooms. Carpets are threadbare, paint is chipped, wallpaper is half removed and the photographs of past productions are hanging at alarming angles.

Actually the Royal has deteriorated disturbingly quickly with the assistance of designer Laura Hopkins. She's 'distressed' the theatre to make it as rotten as the state of Denmark, which is, of course, where the play takes place.

Laura's set is a brilliant idea. As the lights rise we see a mirror image of the Royal's Victorian auditorium, complete with balcony and chandelier.

Of course, Hamlet is a great play. It's got ghosts, sword fighting, lots of famous speeches and a terrifically high body count. And this production, directed by Rupert Goold, must be one of the best versions you could see.

Be prepared!

Hamlet with Horatio (David Ganly)

Tobias Menzies (last seen at the Royal in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia) is superb as Hamlet. He's unpredictable and edgy; you believe - and understand - everything he says.

It's hard to criticise such a faultless production but it was difficult at times to hear Jane Birkin who plays Hamlet's mum, Gertrude. I don't know whether she was suffering from a cold, but she didn't project her voice.

Don't go if you have bladder problems. Hamlet is a notoriously long play and even this version, in which the text has been cut, lasts three and a half hours. And if you're of a nervous disposition, be prepared to leap out of your seat - there are plenty of surprises along the way.

Hamlet is only showing until 3rd April - if you can, make sure you can see it. The chance of getting quality theatre like this in Northampton for the next 14 months is next to nil.

^{Photos by Donald Cooper donald@photostage.co.uk}

Listen to an interview with the director of Hamlet, Rupert Goold, by clicking on the link on the top right of this page.

last updated: 22/08/06

Have Your Say

Send us your own review.

Lorna Wood
I loved this production! I think that Tobias Menzies who played Hamlet was amazing and the set was stunning. I could go on and on about it, but I won’t! What I wanted to comment on was two things that I annoyed me! Firstly, I didn’t enjoy Jane Birkin’s performance. Not only was it difficult to hear her, I felt she was too old for the part and gave a laboured performance that at times made it uncomfortable to watch. She was the only actor in this dazzling ensemble that let it down. I hope Rupert learns from this that ‘Names’ aren’t everything. As a twenty-something who studied drama and visits the theatre a lot to see a variety of productions, I’m all for new and vibrant way’s to ‘spice’ up a production. I would draw the line at vandalism of a much loved local rep! I used to work at the Theatre and am a regular Royal Theatre goer, and like everyone, deserved to say goodbye to the Theatre that I love in all her glory. I was denied that right. Wallpaper was torn off , all of the lovely pictures were plucked from the walls and some of the plasterwork was distressed. I not only felt a bit sad, but embarrassed for the people that don’t know the Theatre and just thought that the staff hadn’t bothered to tidy up! I wouldn’t have been so annoyed had it added to the performance, but it didn’t, as they had created a replica, it was clear to all that it was the Royal auditorium on the stage.

Melinda Olivia Trench-Williams
Good to see another fine review of Laura Hopkins work. Keep her busy.

Jane Wiliams
The set is the usual wonderful quality that Laura hopkins brings to the stage. Cudos

Jane Pettersen
Laura Hopkins is truly brilliant. Bravo.

Willy Gilder
Short review: Bloody Brilliant Longer review: What do you say after you've staggered out of a theatre reeling from the emotional impact of a play that leaves you asking the big questions about life? So often Shakespeare productions leave you feeling confused at best, bored at worst. The most important thing about this production of Hamlet is that it really makes you care about the Prince of Denmark in his mad rage, and you long to discover what happens to all the characters involved. This is a superb version of the greatest tragedy in the English language. Tobias Menzies gives the performance of a lifetime as Hamlet, in Rupert Goold's astonishing production. The opening of the play set the tone for the rest of the evening. It left me gaping in amazement, as I realised that I was being sucked into the murky world of Elsinore. In turn I laughed, shivered and wept along with the action on stage. Everyone knows Hamlet, of course - and the play is full of traps for the unwary: "To be or not to be";"Alas poor Yorick"; "What a piece of work is man" - they have become the cliches of theatre, but only because of the greatness of the language. In this production every word counted: every phrase hit home - and Shakespeare's brilliance is revealed. The play is bloody in a literal sense: at the end the stage is littered with bodies. The brilliance comes from everyone involved. Over the years the walls of the Royal Theatre have absorbed all kinds of drama: some good, some mediocre. How fitting that before the theatre closes we should have a great production of the greatest play. I'm still reeling with the emotion of it all - I urge you to share the feeling and see this Hamlet.