I regret that I did not take better notes upon seeing the production. The idea of this blog was four years in the future, so the only timely (albeit brief) reflections that I had were in a subsequent letter to a friend. As such, I'm forced to rely on my memories of the show.
My first observation was the proximity of the seat that I managed to score--front row center. I don't know how I managed that; it must have been luck, considering the late date that I purchased the ticket. It made for a very up-close view, close enough to see beads of sweat on the actors' faces. As I discovered, though, the closeness actually cut down the ability to see the whole stage. The set, including the castle catwalk, went very high up on the stage, which left me craning my neck to see. It was a small price to pay, though.
The set was large, filling the stage both vertically and horizontally. The aforementioned high catwalk, stone walls and falling snow made it the most impressive design that I had seen live.
In terms of casting, I found that Jude Law was not the only actor whom I had seen previously. Ron Cook, who played Polonius, had appeared in the film Hot Fuzz. Kevin McNally had been in the BBC series, Life on Mars. He was immediately familiar to me.
The production was very enjoyable. Jude Law played the role of Hamlet well, although he was a bit emotionally overwrought early on. Older than university age, in his Henley and collared shirts he was not obviously too old. Polonius, in a business suit, was less a fop and more devious than I had seen in other versions. I enjoyed Kevin McNally's portrayal of Claudius, although that could have been my bias after enjoying his previous BBC TV appearance.
I wish that I had further critique of the production. Suffice it to say that it was a well-staged and well-played Hamlet and a worthy addition to the collection.
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