The rest is silence.

[fan_elune]

Back from Hamlet!

I don't quite know where to start. This was my first time in Stratford, Shakespeare lover that I am, so we went around to see all the famous places. Went and saw his grave, too. I just wish I could keep going there to see more and more and yet more productions. They were putting up a Brechtian Coriolanus in the park and I really, really wish I could've caught that. Oh well. Seeing everybody again was lovely, although way too short, and can it be time for BattleStarFury already?

As for the play itself, well. David Tennant was as good as I figured he would be in this part, while Patrick Stewart as Claudius was, well, Patrick Stewart. There's really not much you can say there. I wasn't really impressed by Ophelia, but I rather liked Horatio. I was very sad they'd cut his exchange with Fortinbras at the end (the rest really was silence), for a variety of reasons.

The performance was quite funny; they fully exploited Polonius' comic potential, the grave digger was just as funny, the clown players were very crude. David's Hamlet also garnered many laughs, as did Rosencratz and Guildenstern (who were totally gay for each other in a way that made me very happy).

On a more serious note, I love that they chose the reading of the play that I myself like best and find most interesting. My favourite bit had to be that Hamlet was mouthing along to Lucianus' speech (the player about to kill the player king). Also my favourite scene, in the Queen's closet, was done just as I wanted it to be, very physical, with Hamlet even kissing the queen good night at the end. He actually showed up in her closet wearing one of the players' crowns. Seriously, how awesome and wonderful and squee! If you find absolute Oedipus complexes squee-worthy, which I clearly do when they're Shakespearean.

Sadly, neither David nor Patrick showed up to sign anything afterwards, which fairly disappointed me. Not so much that I couldn't get anything signed (had they shown up, I'm not sure I would've been ready to fight my way to them to get a signature), but that they wouldn't take ten minutes to sign stuff for their fans.

Oh, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw was in the audience. She played Martha's sister in Who, and stars in Bonekickers for those of you who like cracktastic archeology shows starring Adrian Lester and Hugh Bonneville.

I want to be at BattleStarFury already.

Comments

[vae]

I do know *sigh* though...god, I hate being all logical and practical. There was Hamlet, which was the main event. Anything beyond would have been icing, and it was a pretty damn good cake without icing.

hee I don't even have your excuse and I slept until 10.

Hamlet quotes. There should be Hamlet quote icons.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

There should be Dream quote icons, mostly. It's insane to think I used not to like that play, just because I'd very badly studied it. And half a semester on it was enough to make me love it so hard, with the right teacher. :D

[vae]

...dude, I still know that entire play off by heart.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

DUDE LEAR WAS SO GOOD. I never cared much for this one, except this production was excellent. Barry was AMAZING and I also quite liked the guy who played Edgar, or rather I liked his voice; I kept trying to pinpoint who it reminded me of but I cannot. But BARRY. Ian Holm is pretty damn good as always, as is the whole cast in fact, but BARRY. I will forever and ever like Edmund best of all, and his in particular.

Okay, now Dream needs to get here soon.

[vae]

YAY I WAS SO HOPING YOU'D ENJOY IT.

Because Lear is so easy to fuck up as a play, so much, and ohgod yes Barry Lynch is wonderful in it, best Edmund EVER. Edgar is Paul Rhys who you've very probably seen in other things because he's done all sorts. I remember even liking Cordelia in that production and I have seen some truly awfully wet Cordelias.

You ordered Dream in the end?

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, Cordelia can easily be annoying. So can Edgar, in fact. I think the only thing I remember him in is Bonekickers, which is kinda sad. But his voice, I swear it reminds me of somebody else and I can't pinpoint who. Hmpf. Most vexing.

Anyway, I must be off, but yes, yeah, of course I ordered Dream, didn't I say? Play was cheaper. I went for Play. I want I want I want. Heee. Thank you for rekindling my Barry love. (Though I half wanna call him Finbar 'cause it's such a wonderfully unusual name.)

[vae]

This is true, but I've seen...ok, not many Lears, but the Cordelias have been universally worse than the Edgars. Paul Rhys sounds, I suppose, vaguely like Paul B? Except his tone is a little softer and breathier, but still has the accent and the same unexpected resonance.

You said that Play was cheaper but not that you'd ordered it. He's using Finbar now, but back then he used Barry as his stage name but now he's very definitely Finbar Lynch. He's married to one of the Cusacks, damn if I can remember which one.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

Nah, if it had been Paul I wouldn't still be looking for who it is. Kind of like Rupert. When I first heard Matthew Goode I straight away thought of Rupert. There are some voices that you just... know.

Shhhhh. Don't ruin my happy little fantasy where one day we meet and it's love and he'll recite me Shakespeare to get me into bed. (As if he needed to.) Of course he isn't married! :p

[vae]

Hm. Yes. Okay, now I'm going to be trying to think of it all day. Your icon makes me wonder if the slight softness isn't reminiscent of Orlando Bloom, but I haven't had breakfast yet so my brain is obviously still asleep.

Oh, he absolutely will. He was an amazing Lucio, so, yes. So very much with the seductive poetry.