The New York Shakespearean Festival (and its Great Performances filmed version) may have hit their market, but they missed the mark, beginning with the casting of the primary character. From uncertainties of where his hands should go to his tight and nervous movements, Kline's weepy Hamlet is awkward, much like some of the Hollywood characters he plays.
Michael Cumpsty's Laertes is unsettling, appearing to be the younger brother of Ophelia, his spunky sister. She insists on Hamlet's honorable intentions and screams uncontrollably.
The costumes appear to be dressy-casual wear the cast found in their closets, though Claudius looks like a survival from the days of the British raj, while Laertes seems a strange cross between yuppie and wise guy. Oddly, Gertrude encourages Hamlet to "cast off (his) nighted color," while she herself is clad in a black evening dress.
The set is so bare it's almost naked.
Polonius is the greatest strength in this adapted stage performance, simply because he tends to be the only actor who fully understands the humor and dialogue.
While individual moments and even scenes in this production are strong, on the whole it is somewhat dry, and for students, it may be slightly more effective as an aid to sleep than as a guide to the play.
Michael Cumpsty's Laertes is unsettling, appearing to be the younger brother of Ophelia, his spunky sister. She insists on Hamlet's honorable intentions and screams uncontrollably.
The costumes appear to be dressy-casual wear the cast found in their closets, though Claudius looks like a survival from the days of the British raj, while Laertes seems a strange cross between yuppie and wise guy. Oddly, Gertrude encourages Hamlet to "cast off (his) nighted color," while she herself is clad in a black evening dress.
The set is so bare it's almost naked.
Polonius is the greatest strength in this adapted stage performance, simply because he tends to be the only actor who fully understands the humor and dialogue.
While individual moments and even scenes in this production are strong, on the whole it is somewhat dry, and for students, it may be slightly more effective as an aid to sleep than as a guide to the play.