I sat on the first row, dead center and could have reached out and touched Jude Law in HAMLET. It is my favorite play since I first saw Richard Burton in 1964 when I was a teenager. I loved Jude Law and thought it was the most exciting and fulfilling performance of that part that I have ever seen, including Burton and all the others in between. Honorable mention to Kevin Klein, whom I saw twice and was magnificent.
I was so thrilled to be in the front row in 2009 (and see Hair the next night). Phenomenal Hamlet portrayal. There are scenes he did that I have never seen done better Probably one of the top four I have seen live--David Tennant, Paapa Essiedu, Adrian Lester, and Jude Law.
I'm not sure I'd agree that Prince Hamlet is wildly complex. Possibly he's just smug and entitled, with a predisposition to depression and mood swings?
They film these things for 'archival efforts' and then refuse to sell them! How dumb! I'd pay any amount of money to see Matt Ryan on the stage! Horatio always did know what was up.
I saw Hamlet with my boyfriend in November of 09. I met him when he was signing autographs after the show. Not a lot of actors thank their fans in person. He was was polite and charming <3
The guy who comes on at 1:19 talking to jude - i met him randomly one time and we chatted for a while, he was so inspiring and open to talking about his experiences - even showed me jude laws mobile number! But he said how lovely jude was and how he would take the cast out clubbing and they would crawl back at ridiculous times in the morning but jude would be up and ready to perform :)
@freedomland11 Law didn't 'Transform' hamlet, he copied the inflexion patterns, pauses, emphasis choices etc from Burton. There are sound and voice analysis machines which show this. Law, Branagh and others have consistantly stolen from Burton. Do your home work rather than blindly defending Law who you are obviously bessoted with.
@hazlitt1...Don't you understand that Hamlet has been played hundreds maybe even thousands of times. For you to say that Law copied Burton is just absurd and sorry to say, but ignorant. An actor will take Hamlet and transform him into there own character. Jude Law took Hamlet as he would have foreseen Hamlet in action, that's All!!
@freedomland11 I doubt very much that all their directors have asked Jude Law, Ken Branagh et al to all copy Burton! Even if the phony directors did 'force' Law, Brannagh et al to copy Burton, it is incumbent on Law, Brannagh, etc. to fes up and acknowledge Burton from whom they stole. You haven't denied Law plagiarized, you are now simply suggesting Law was commanded by his director to copy Burton.
@hazlitt1 Wow, you took way beyond where I would've taken it. You actually wrote an entire paragraph explaining your idea to me! LOL, listen 1st. Od cours Olivier would praise Burton, he wouldn't not like him as Hamlet. 2nd..Its the directors choice in how they want the actor to portray a character, so Jude did his best. I'm an actor and did Hamlet!!
@freedomland11 Olivier himself disagrees with you. Larry Olivier himself declared Burton a superior shakespearean. Jude Law, Ken Branagh etc also disagree as they invariably copy Burton when performing Hamlet, Henry V, Coriolanus and anything they can get their hands on tthat Burton recorded. I have researched this for many years.
@hazlitt1 Tim burton, Master at playing hamlet?? *Clears Throat*...I assume you haven't seen Laurence Olivier performance yet? he kicks Burtons ASS!! But Burton is one of the best actors ever lived, no doubt about that!!
@coramunroe Law has 'borrowed' a lot from Richard Burton. Some would say plagiarized. Ah well Law knows a master when he sees one. But deserving a Tony for stealing from Burton, I think not.
I wish I COULD HAVE SEEN THIS! I dunno know if they came to the states but still! WHY CAN'T I LIVE IN LONDON?! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! For those of you who got to see it, YOU ARE SO LUCKLY! PLUS, PLUS! You would be like so close to him. *wails* He probably did amazing. >>; ANYHOW! THANKS FOR UPLOADING!
It's nice to see two of Britain's two hottest & talented actors doing Hamlet on both sides of the pond to great success at much the same time! Both he and David Tennant in the RSC production are sensational!
