David Tennant's Hamlet (includes Epic Theatre Etiquette Rant)

Unless you abjectly refuse to interact with any form of news or affairs, you will probably know that David Tennant, of Doctor Who fame, has taken on the formidable role of Hamlet, the run at the RSC's Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon having begun during the last week of July (although I would like to point out that, being a member of the RSC and getting all the literature in the mail, I got the Summer program listing him as Hamlet and blogged it before any crummy newspaper even got wind of it *plug*). I can happily report with the play fresh in my mind that it was an absolutely brilliant production - well directed, a number of exceptional performances, and barely any weak links in the cast. Tennant, after a couple of weeks of performances, has matured well into the role, nailing the madness and using every part of his body (which is quite refreshing - no straight-faced stiff-backed speech delivery here), and his comic timing (yes, they wrung the so-called tragedy for every possible laugh) is exquisite. During the three and a half hour play, my mind didn't wander in the slightest - not a second of boredom. Even if you like Shakespeare, that's not common.



I was sitting right next to the one of the entrances to the thrust stage, so every time he entered from one side of the theatre (stage-left? stage-right? it's always confused me) he would rush past, and despite my best efforts I couldn't help but feel excited that Doctor Who had passed within a metre of me. You could tell the audience collectively held their breath as he walked into his first scene, or was left for his first soliloquy, and even though I tried not to see him as the gallivanting Timelord, you couldn't help but recognize some his mannerisms, or the slightly manic look that's present in both roles (although it didn't help that Russel T Davies, ex-executive producer and ex-chief writer of Doctor Who was sitting on the other side of the theatre and walked right past me in the lobby).

But that's just the thing that I'm going to rant about (and you thought I was never going to get there...)! Tennant is a serious actor, not just Doctor Who. His RSC credits include As You Like It, Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet, as well as the most recent Hamlet and Love's Labour's Lost, and in the past has been nominated for an Olivier. The RSC actually had to ban people coming to the stage-door to get Doctor Who (and Star Trek - Patrick Stewart a.k.a. Captain Jean-Luc Picard was also in the cast) merchandise signed. Do people not know how to behave at theatres? You might have seen this picture in the paper, but seriously, do people think he wants Doctor Who to follow him everywhere? Obviously he knows that when he takes as massive a role as the Doctor, it's going to affect his image, but even so, when he's actually a serious actor as well as everyone's favourite alien (apart from E.T. - no one beats E.T.) you'd think people would be more considerate.



And since I'm on the topic, behaviour in the theatres also needs a kick in the guts. I went to the Lee Mead production of Joseph at the Adelphi (which wasn't bad - Lee Mead has a great voice and the production was ok, but he can't act for toffee and to be brutally honest, someone needed to re-cast almost everybody else) in London, and I spent the whole evening just moaning about the etiquette in the theatre (because I'm that cool). The worst thing, was food. You don't have food in a theatre! It's just a fact, a rule! But of course, it's broken as easily as an iPod when the theatre owners realize they can charge massive prices for drinks and make a killing. But, say, a glass of wine in the foyer before going in, I can live with. Heck, I'll forgive you for a bottle of water to take in and sip quietly if you have a coughing fit and start to die. But as soon as you let people take food in, the rustling of sweet packets and the crunching of biscuits is suddenly louder than anything on stage. But I'm afraid the Adelphi just crossed the line with popcorn. When someone says popcorn, I think "with a large soft drink and nachos for a special discount!". Popcorn = something you eat at the cinema. Fact. Not at the theatre. Believe me, I'm all for opening up the theatre to people who wouldn't otherwise do anything cultural in their lives, but (and here tact can sod off), if they start ruining the performance for those of us who aren't there just to see "Lee Mead's cute butt" which was on TV, then I'm afraid they can bugger off home.

BUUUUUUUURN. But yeah, Hamlet was awesome, so I'd advise trying to get tickets for the month-long London run starting December 9th.

And while I'm here, Heroes seasons 1 and 2 are now out on DVD boxset for £50, and with series 3 starting with a 3-hour episode on 22nd September, and being aired soon after in the UK on BBC2, it's definitely worth a buy.

Peace out!