________________________________________________________‘Denmark is a prison' Jude Law’s Hamlet moodily asserted as he crouched within a pool of dismal light on the Wyndham’s dark stage, flanked by duo Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Judging by director Grandage's grim, prison-like set - stone paving, towering walls, heavy wooden gate - the audience was inclined to agree. At first glance the stage appeared dull, almost too cast in shadows. There were times when I had to squint so as not to lose focus, but my eye eventually became accustomed to the perpetual gloom, and the design concept as a whole began to grow on me. The darkness and imposing set, in time, served to aptly reflect Law's menacing interpretation of Hamlet.
At the opening, the curtain revealed a black stage diffused by mist and a single light encircling the young prince. The atmosphere was ethereal and silent as Law assumed a series of agony-stricken poses. This pre-emption of his fate acted as an effective, sobering prologue and so with the mood established and audience drawn in, Act I commenced. After a suitably spine-tingling turn from the Ghost, it was the following court scene where the production failed to impress. The floor was bare and free from props, while the guests stood scattered about in their identical, monotone clothing (mainly shades of black, grey and purple). There was no hint that a celebration was in full swing or an important meeting underway. Discussion of Fortinbras and the political situation was practically brushed away with a wave of the King's hand ('So much for him!') and left as such for the remainder - cutting, I believe, an important, pervading element of the play.
Adding to the dysfunction was Claudius (Kevin R McNally) who wasted his lines by reeling them off in a matter-of-fact fashion, instead of applying them to create a stately, powerful presence. There was also a distinct lack of chemistry between the new husband and wife, so much so the spectator had to question why Gertrude fell for Claudius to begin with. Most depriving however, was the fact that, visually, Hamlet's character was undefined among a host of black-clad actors. His costume blended in with the rest when it should have been made to stand out in this scene. I am ashamed to admit it took me some desperate scanning to finally pinpoint Law downstage with his back to the audience, and I think the costume department would have improved by stretching their creativity a little.
Slouched and cross-armed, Law's Hamlet seemed like a petulant child in his first scene. In contrast to his mother's soft entreaty, his quick-fire responses had an incisive and irrational quality, that made the audience feel for the wounded Gertrude. Absent was the bitterness and sadness stemming from his father's death, which could evoke audience pathos, and in their place an unparalleled fury at the betrayal. With a snarling expression and liberally sarcastic tongue he left no room for doubt the disgust he felt towards his mother, and his hatred of Claudius was palpable, but less evident was his grief. Unfortunately, Law's Hamlet expressed little sadness or quiet sense of loss for his father throughout the play (with the notable exception of the revenge scene he shares with Pete Eyre's Ghost). Anger and moral disgust were the dominate emotions Law chose to channel through his performance. Indeed, before he had even set sights on the Ghost, this Hamlet was brawling for a fight, ready to tear the head off Claudius. And would have happily committed said act in the first five minutes - if it were not for the script holding him back.
Joking aside, the question that sprung to mind instantly was: 'What exactly is holding this Hamlet back?' Bearing in mind there was clearly enough emotion spurring him on, it may have puzzled audiences that he was unable to follow his revenge through in the end. Law himself seemed frequently baffled that he could not commit the deed, especially in his virile soliloquies during which he squared up to the audience and skulked about, spitting his contempt for the world.
A notable hightlight was the comedic exchanges with Polonius (Ron Cook), where Law reduced me to a fit of muffled giggles at his feigned madness. He swaggered like a chimp, slammed doors in faces, screeched his lines in Cook's face, even jutted a blade at his throat (‘You cannot take anything I would more willingly part withal, except my life... except my life... EXCEPT MY LIFE!') as if desperate to be grappled into a straitjacket that very moment. When he launched into an overblown and deep-throated rendition of the Jephthah ballad (‘Oh Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou!’) complete with sweeping hand gestures, the audience was obliged to feel a vicarious embarrassment in place of the brilliantly indifferent Polonius. Law switched effortlessly between lethal sarcasm to slap-stick, drawing big laughs from the auditorium in equal measure. Although Law’s humour may have been coarse and mocking compared to the often terse and witty interpretations of other Hamlets, his take was still highly amusing.
Penelope Wilton wowed as Gertrude in a bedroom scene exceptional for its intensity and excellent staging. A gauze curtain was brought down, separating Gertrude and an already bristling Hamlet from the audience. Interestingly, Polonius hid downstage too, sharing our perspective. The position of the arras created an voyeuristic slant, forming a strange guilt within the spectator. Dramatic tension was heightened too; everything was less distinct and at Polonius’ cry, the audience became caught up in a swell of confusion and blindness that echoed Hamlet’s, before it broke with the falling of the cloth, leaving all stunned. What followed was a confrontation devoid from all tenderness on Hamlet’s part. Even when he cupped his mother’s face, (‘Assume a virtue, if you have it not’) it became an intimidating gesture. Such lines as ‘Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love’ were delivered with such malignant spite by Law that one momentarily lost all sympathy for the prince and sided entirely with Gertrude. Her pained protests and confusion was heart-wrenching to witness. To Hamlet her transgression was the gravest insult, a fall from grace that he could not endure or begin to understand. But the audience found itself wishing he somehow would, so as not make her suffer so abominably. Far more ‘cruel’ then ‘kind’, he pinioned Gertrude to the ground in a heavily charged moment, before eventually losing the conviction. The woeful howl that spilled from both their lips as he collapsed in defeat was powerful and moving.
Other impressive turns included those from Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a sincere and sweet Ophelia, whose performance was most poignant during her unnerving, quiet spiral into madness. Her soft, eerie singing of Ophelia’s song showed off her voice talent as well as illustrating a genuine example of insanity to rival Hamlet’s noisy tirade. The iconic skull-toting scene produced the anticipated laughs with David Burke playing a foolish, bearded gravedigger. Rosencrantz (John MacMillan) and Guildenstern (Gwilym Lee) were a mediocre, uninspiring pair; Claudius had one shining moment lamenting his crime in the rectory, but was otherwise such a lukewarm villain you forgot to despise him. Cook successfully bagged the laughs as the dim-witted Polonius, although I could not help thinking he could have played up the ridiculous factor for a stronger reaction. I was unconvinced by Alex Waldman's Laertes as well as Matt Ryan's Horatio. Once offstage they were instantly forgotten and I felt could have probably played each others roles without much distinction.
However one may miss the witty, philosophical side of Hamlet (and I have to admit I did) Law brought a refreshing physical vigour and strength to the character. Easily the strongest in a fair cast, Law moved with a captivating agility, utilising every corner of the stage, alternating between squatting and standing for conversations and speeches - demanding our attention to the utmost. This combined with his lucid, passion-laden verse speaking made him an intense and immensely watchable Hamlet. Yet never once did he ‘tear a passion to tatters, to very rags’ clearly taking Shakespeare's advice to heart. He proved himself a worthy stage actor, capable of silencing critics who sniffed at his Hollywood background prior to opening night. For these achievements alone, his performance is commendable.
L’s Rating: 8/10
Pros:
- Law’s passion, charisma and the boundless energy he poured into the role.
- An interpretation of the Dane that convinces if you put preconceptions or previous loves aside.
- Solid performances from most of the supporting cast. Key ones have been pointed out.
- A slick sword-fight sequence at the end.
- They did not cut too much text. 3 hours and 10 mins running time.
- Affordable tickets ranging from £10 to £35. I paid £35 for a row-five seat in the Golden Circle Balcony, but better seats in the Stalls are priced the same.
- Going around the stage door afterwards and seeing Jude Law get pounced on by rabid fangirls.
Cons:
- The political backdrop was missing. Fortinbras, who?
- Law’s wrath may be too overbearing for some. The philosophical speeches are a vehicle for his unwavering disgust for humanity - ‘What is this quintessence of dusssst?’
- Claudius makes a lukewarm villain.
- Costume that made the actors look like they were still in rehearsal.
