Dr Who and Hamlet

12:28am Wednesday 6th August 2008

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CASTING Dr Who as Hamlet presents a double chance of failure - for both actor and director.

Happily, for the Royal Shakespeare Company, David Tennant triumphs in Greg Doran’s new production that opened in Stratford-upon-Avon last night.

His Hamlet is eloquent and tongue-tied, profoundly sane and totally barking, contemporary and timeless, in his clearly focused rage against the man who’s killed his father to become king and marry his mother.

Patrick Stewart plays the Ghost of Hamlet’s father in an eerily effective scene of glancing torchlight and shadowy reflection that sets the tone for this dark exploration of grief and betrayal.

The Danish court, in Robert Jones’ design, is a place of mirrors and brilliant chandeliers for a production that illuminates and reflects the characters – the brittle self-deceit of Gertrude (Penny Downie) and Claudius (Patrick Stewart), a masterly Polonius (Oliver Ford Davies) and the fragile Ophelia (Mariah Gale).

In contrast, it’s the travelling players who bring a welcome rude slice of reality before the whole shimmering edifice is – literally – shattered in the violent death of Polonius.

It may have been the Doctor that, deservedly, drew the fans but what should remain in the memory are the many talents that created this success - actors, designers and musicians. Hamlet will play in repertoire until November.