It’s just been revealed that David Tennant, the current Dr Who, is to play Hamlet, at the RSC’s Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon next summer. For Tennant, and the theatre going public, this will be a welcome return to the RSC stage. The time traveler last visited Stratford back in 2000 when he played Romeo and Antipholus.

Joining Tennant in the cast is another space voyager, Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-luc Picard in Star Trek), who will play Claudius.

This new production, directed by Gregory Doran — perhaps the best theatre director around at the moment — promises to be a show not to miss.

Second Thoughts All Female Production

Stratford upon Avon Civic Hall, Saturday March 10th, 2007

Playing Shakespeare is a tricky old business at the best of times, and any company taking on a particularly well known Shakespeare play are setting themselves up to be knocked down. And any theatre company straying from the norm which puts on, for instance, an all male version of Romeo & Juliet, or, in the case of Second Thoughts, an all female version of Hamlet, had better make it work, and work well; which, in the case of the latter, means getting hold of the best Prince of Denmark you can find. Which is exactly what director, Estelle Hand, did when she found the phenomenal Penny-Anne O’Donnell.

Before going to see the show I had my doubts that an all female production of this most male of Shakespeare’s output could be done yet again, and convincingly (who could possibly top Sarah Bernhardt’s acclaimed 1899 one-woman-show, which did two nights in Stratford, or Frances de la Tour’s mighty portrayal of 1979?), because no matter how hard you try, and no matter the ever lengthening tradition of female Hamlets, and the knowledge that in Shakespeare’s day boys played girls, and girls were nowhere to be seen - not to mention the tradition of the Principle Boy in pantomime - it’s still difficult to get your head around the fact that a woman is playing a man, and that a female actor will have little idea of what it’s like to be a man (even if they live with one, especially if they live with one), as male actors have little or no idea what it’s like to be a woman, which is why most female impersonators (and transvestites) always go over the top, creating grotesque monsters.

So, with all that baggage on board Hilary and I, fortified by a couple of stiff drinks, took ourselves along to the Civic Hall. Glad we did too.

But let’s get the moaning out of the way first.

The all black set (ruined by two dreadful gothic-style curtained doorways, which I’m sure must have been a committee decision) was the prefect idea for this production, as were the black suits and white shirts, which, had that idea been carried through for all the characters, would have worked superbly, and diluted the very idea of gender. But, by giving Gertrude a heavy velvet frock, and Claudius a crumpled purple top that looked as if it had come from a bad charity shop (plus a couple of iffy cardboard crowns), made a good idea weak, and, for this member of the audience, wholly distracting.

The next grumble is about the text, or lack of it. Now, believe me I’m all in favour of cutting out Shakespeare’s long-windedness where needed (and there’s an awful lot of it in Hamlet), and I admit it had been encouraging to hear that Estelle Hand had been pretty ruthless with a text that can often result in a four hour marathon. But, sadly, I feel she may have been just a bit too ruthless (her production was just over two hours long), with one result being that poor old Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - who are a damned good device meant to lighten things for a bit - were, in this production, left looking like a couple of unwanted extras from a film adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Consequently these two, rather down-at-heel characters, had little to say, or any reason for actually being there. And it did cross my mind that had they ever been college friends with this production’s stunning Hamlet he’d (she’d?) have crossed them off her (his?) Christmas card list years ago.

Okay, the moaning is over.

Hamlet has always been something of a one-woman, one-man, show, with all the peripheral action little more than a fleshing-out of the Prince’s thoughts, leaving the all important soliloquies at the heart and soul of the piece; and once Penny-Anne O’Donnell is on stage, and starts to speak - and makes sense of Shakespeare’s rich sentences - you know you’re in the presence of an actress of power and eloquence (she is also a speech and language therapist, which helps), who quite naturally controls (as Hamlet should) every aspect of the action taking place around her, at the same time focusing the audiences attention on her, and her every move (and she knows when to stand still, too), and Shakespeare’s tumbling, troubling, wonderful, words. She was a joy to watch and listen to, and she belongs on the professional stage. Gregory Doran please, please, take note - she is a star in the making.

Penny-Anne was very ably assisted by another budding professional, Natalie Danks-Smith as Horatio, a beautifully spoken Pamela Hickson as Polonius (with superb comic timing), Alex Delin as Guildenstern (good comic timing there too), and not least the young Verity Harris, whose Ophelia - especially in the second half - was quite stunning.

Overall I enjoyed this production, with Estelle’s confident directorial hand very evident where it mattered.

Second Thoughts Present Hamlet

The Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon, 7th - 10th March, 2007

I’m looking forward to seeing this show, directed by Estelle Hand. I shall be reviewing the production on Thursday.

In the meantime you might like to read Estelle’s notes:

Why an all female company for Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet?

Fifteen years ago I saw the all female Sphinx Theatre Company perform Hamlet. I was intrigued when watching the play how quickly involvement with the plot overcame any initial novelty of the cross-gender casting. Since then I have hoped to have the opportunity to re-visit this theory in production.

Edward Hall, who recently directed an all male version of The Taming of the Shrew was asked the question, ‘Why don’t you employ women?’ To which he replied. ‘If you want to start an all female Shakespeare Company then do it.’ He further commented, ‘Actors by their nature are pretending to be something they’re not and whether they are pretending to be Hamlet or pretending to be a woman, essentially to me there is no difference.’

Shakespeare, who was denied the participation of women on stage, created many male protagonists with a unique combination of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ qualities and Hamlet in particular. It is this subtlety of characterization which has drawn many female actors since the 18th century to play the role. Over fifty female Hamlets have been performed. The first was probably Mrs Siddons from 1777 onwards; the most celebrated, Sarah Bernhardt 1899, and the most well-known contemporary portrayal, Frances de la Tour 1979.

Finally, would Shakespeare himself approve of ‘gender bending’ less complicated than in his day his male actors having to impersonate a woman pretending to be a man? I think he would find it now entirely credible, and only fair, to allow women the chance to tell Hamlet’s story upon the stage.