Hamlet

I first studied Hamlet about twenty years ago when at college and ever since then I have made a point of seeing as many different versions as possible. This version deserves some serious praise. This is a modern take on the play with the original language and is a stripped down and incredibly actor-led performance. Maxine Peake is simply sublime. Hamlet which is usually acknowledged as the toughest challenge an actor will ever undertake is a huge, three hour plus, demanding role with language that is both familiar and unfamiliar to us today. The supporting cast were also of high quality particularly the King & Queen and the comedic Polonia (Changed to a female lead). Maxine descends into madness with the character and spits and scorns her words, uses intriguing gestures and quite frankly, is one of the best actors working in today's media. Genuinely impressive and whilst stripped down, really goes to the very heart of the play. Great version. How anyone remembers 3 hours of text to perform live and with such passion is stunningly impressive.