Hamlet - Monday 25th August

22nd Performance of Hamlet (my 6th)

Photo of DT running out of the stage door on Saturday night (Photographer unknown as it was posted on OG)

I had a lovely relaxing day before this performance as I wandered around Stratford-Upon-Avon for a while after I'd visited Anne Hathaway's cottage which was interesting. I had dinner in the town and then wandered along to the theatre back to my H5 seat.

I got chatting to the lady in the seat next to me and apparently she was a scholar of Shakespeare and had even written papers on Hamlet! Her comment before the start of the play was that she was surprised that there were so many children in the audience as it wasn't a comedy.

Tonight I think there was a tuberculosis ward in the theatre as I couldn't believe all the coughing that went on! I know people have to cough but it seemed very excessive today which was quite off-putting for me (and I'm sure the actors too).

I listened very carefully tonight during the "So therefore as a stranger give it welcome" speech and DT definitely said "in our philosophy Horatio" and not "your philosophy" which is the version I know.

People always applaud at the interval and I kept an eye on the lady next to me but she took ages before she started applauding so I had quite a bit of trepidation before I asked her what she thought of the production. Thankfully she said that she really loved it! She especially liked the fact that they emphasised different parts to other productions that she's seen. For example she said that she had not seen a production before that indicated that the audience here were the groundlings which really brought us into the play! We then had quite a nice chat about the different lines that they've cut and it was so interesting being able to speak to someone who knows the play quite well.

I've now tuned my ears to listening to what is happening behind the audience when some of the actors (mainly DT!) are off stage and you can clearly hearing them running or walking around at times! David Tennant has two very fast changes of costume and my friend's daughter who came to watch it in August said that she saw a hand come out to grab Yorrick's skull as he exited the stage at that point because he changes into different clothes quite quickly ready for the fencing scene.

Tonight it took Hamlet a staggering four attempts to get the recorder into his pocket!

At the end of the play the lady next to me shot out of her seat to give a standing ovation so she obviously really liked the production!

I didn't go to the stage door again (I read online the next day that nobody came out anyway) so instead I went back to my car and got home by 1.30am.

Next performance of Hamlet for me: Friday 5th September (but I have Shakespeare and Me on Sunday!)