21st Performance of Hamlet (my 5th)
Photo of DT at the stage door tonight (Photographer unknown as it was posted on OG)
I booked this seat through the RSC website once they went on sale online as I decided a year ago that I fancied a Hamlet weekend (as it's a Bank Holiday weekend). By coincidence I booked exactly the same seat for both nights (and for a couple of other performances in the run). It is supposed to be one of the best seats in the theatre as it's H5 and there's no seats in front of it, just the aisle down to the centre of the stage so it feels as though sometimes they are looking right at you when the actors say some of their lines. Plus there's the added bonus that David Tennant walks right past the seat just before the eggshell scene!
Photo of DT at the stage door tonight (Photographer unknown as it was posted on OG)
I booked this seat through the RSC website once they went on sale online as I decided a year ago that I fancied a Hamlet weekend (as it's a Bank Holiday weekend). By coincidence I booked exactly the same seat for both nights (and for a couple of other performances in the run). It is supposed to be one of the best seats in the theatre as it's H5 and there's no seats in front of it, just the aisle down to the centre of the stage so it feels as though sometimes they are looking right at you when the actors say some of their lines. Plus there's the added bonus that David Tennant walks right past the seat just before the eggshell scene!
It was nice to be able to drive up the M40 at leisure today and I managed to find my hotel in Birmingham quite easily. I left at 6.00pm and managed to find somewhere quite near the theatre to park that was free at that time.
The audience tonight were obviously in quite a jolly mood and really seemed to enjoy the comedy in the play which created a good atmosphere. That's all except the guy who sat next to me as he barely watched the play but instead was following the lines in a book and then writing comments! He may have been from the production but I doubt it as he was crossing out the omitted lines as they played the scenes.
Tonight, even more than the other performances I've seen, I was struck by David Tennant's energy on stage! He really did bounce around the stage for the whole performance which was brilliant to watch.
I'm currently learning the "So therefore as a stranger give it welcome" speech that Hamlet says soon after he's seen the ghost and there's a line that starts "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy" but tonight I was pretty sure that DT said "in our philosophy Horatio" so I'll have to double check that on Monday.
Tonight it took DT two attempts to get his recorder into his pocket!
Although I knew the part was coming my heart still ended up in my mouth when I saw David Tennant walking along our aisle (stepping over the person's feet next to me) to walk to the front of the stage!
Afterwards I decided to go to the backstage door and I'm glad that I finally plucked up the courage as it was fascinating watching David Tennant interacting with people! At one point somebody French spoke to him and he said that "Bonjour" was about all he could say in the language. I'm not into autographs so I just stood back and watched (and it was too dark for me to take photos) but he just bounded out and signed autographs for everybody who was at the barrier. Once he'd finished he ran back in and almost everybody left immediately!
It was nice to only have to drive for about 30 minutes to get back to my hotel (although I was too wired to get to sleep immediately).
Next performance for me: Monday 25th August - only 2 days!!!
Next performance for me: Monday 25th August - only 2 days!!!
