trailer break: David Tennant’s ‘Hamlet’ on the BBC
Take a break from work: watch a TV trailer...
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I can’t wait to see this again, though I don’t imagine it can possibly capture the energy and the immediacy it had on stage. I hope it comes close.
For those just tuning in, I saw this production in Stratford-upon-Avon last year, and loved it; my review is here.
(via Blogtor Who, and thanks to reader Lisa for pointing it out to me)
Hamlet debuts in the U.K. on BBC Two on Christmas Day; it will air in the U.S. on PBS sometime in 2010. The Region 2DVD will be released on January 4, 2010, and is available to preorder; no Region 1 DVD has been announced.
(links here are good for finding recent posts, but will not be fully functional till I finish tagging 11 years worth of reviews and blog entries; I'll post a notice when tagging is done)
comments
posted by Joanne (Tue Nov 17 09, 1:49PM)
A friend of mine got tickets in the BFI's ballot for their preview screening of this in mid-December - she's kindly taking me. We're both very excited and hopeful for the "special guests" doing a Q&A with Gregory Doran after the screening; Doran by himself would be great but it'll be even better if David Tennant and Patrick Stewart turned up. *crosses fingers*
posted by Bex (Tue Nov 17 09, 2:27PM)
While the date for release of Region 1 has not been announced, but that there will *be* a Region 1 release is definite.
John Wyver at Illuminations, the production company, has confirmed that it will be released around the time of broadcast on PBS (as a large proportion of the PBS Great Performances are).
John has also said that there is likely to be a simultaneous Blu-Ray release in the US as well since it was filmed with RED Hi Def cameras and the US Blu-Ray market is bigger than the UK market at this point. UK Blu-Ray will come after.
posted by Lisa (Tue Nov 17 09, 4:23PM)
I've got BFI tickets too!!!!
Tennant or not Stewart or not I'm gonna see Hamlet on the big screen and I'm so exciteddddddddd!!!!!!
posted by Barb (Tue Nov 17 09, 5:11PM)
Pre-ordered it the day it was announced in R2.
I also heard about a BluRay version but it would be released later on - don't understand the rationale with that.
posted by Magess (Tue Nov 17 09, 6:09PM)
Is how they look in the clip how it looked basically on stage? The only image I ever saw was Tennant with the skewed crown on.
posted by bronxbee (Tue Nov 17 09, 7:28PM)
that *is* basically how they were dressed when i saw the production... very elegant, very modern... but not of a particular time. my goodness, i cannot *wait* to get my dvd (pre-ordered, of course).
posted by MaryAnn (Tue Nov 17 09, 10:36PM)
I would say that, if an era had to be assigned to this production, aside from a few of Tennant's costumes (t-shirt and jeans; ratty parka and ski cap) the overall tenor is vaguely late 1930s, early 1940s.
But, of course, much of what constitutes eveningwear and military uniforms -- which is what much of this production is dressed in -- hasn't changed too much in a century.
posted by Lisa (Wed Nov 18 09, 5:52AM)
^ yeah it's hard to say what era it was set in. If I remember rightly, in the programme, it looked like Tennant was originally going to wear the long coat he wore in the promo picture (instead of wearing the more modern parka that he wears in the yorick scene). Imho, it does look really different but then watching it filmed is always going to be a different experience. E.g. I.m used to Tennant saying that speech with his back to me!
Magess - there are a few places where you can see more photos of the play online, if you're still interested. (If MaryAnn gives me permission to post them).
Patrick Stewart has been confirmed for the Q and A.
posted by NorthernStar (Wed Nov 18 09, 6:36AM)
I'm really reluctant to see this (I'm not going to say I'm not going to see it because who am kidding?)
I don't want this to corrupt my memories of watching it on stage.
posted by Nicola (Thu Nov 19 09, 7:27AM)
About 16 of my friends and I have managed to get tickets (when they went on sale). Patrick has since been confirmed as attending the Q&A. Unknown if David will, he's due to be in the States I believe.
posted by Joanne (Mon Dec 14 09, 7:14PM)
Reporting back after the BFI screening - I didn't see the stage version, but I really wish I had. What's notable about this filmed version is the way it breaks down the fourth wall between actors and audience. One of the audience questioners at the end noted that she felt that she was drawn into the action; I agree with her. There are a number of moments when during a soliloquy a character speaks directly to camera - either a little off-the-cuff comment (Polonius, notably) or intensely making eye contact (Hamlet). It's reasonably stagy in that sets are minimal and definitely similar to the photos I saw of the stage version, but there are some clever filmic devices too that I thought worked very well.
Performance-wise it was flawless from everyone. There's so much anger and grief and energy in Tennant's Hamlet, that same sense of mercurial dynamism he brings to the Doctor too. I really felt that this was a man mourning his father. Stewart was great as Claudius and the Ghost both. A real Shakespearean villain. I agree with the reviews of the stage show that Oliver Ford Davies was superb as Polonius - funny, yet there was a sense of pathos too. Also I think those who saw Edward Bennett as Hamlet when Tennant was injured can't have done so badly as he was a fantastic Laertes, especially as he's confronted with Ophelia gone mad.
The Q&A was interesting. The director, Gregory Doran, talked about the challenges of adapting the stage production for screen. He said he was delighted to discover editing (he edited out most of Fortinbras), and also discussed things like the way the camera follows the action. Stewart talked about the fact that the cast was crazily well-rehearsed compared to most TV and film productions, and said he didn't feel he'd had to adapt his performance for the screen much at all.
In summary, I would highly recommend watching this on TV or DVD.