39th Performance of Hamlet (my 9th)
Photo of DT at the stage door this afternoon (Photographer unknown as it was posted on OG)
We woke at about 7.00am and after breakfast my friend went to join the queue in Stratford to try to get a return for the matinee of Hamlet today. Thankfully she was lucky and got a good one in the stalls soon after 9.30am so I drove into Stratford to join her. I parked in my usual spot and we saw Tom Davey (who plays Guildenstern) being asked for directions as we walked back into the town proper. I had a few things to get so we parted while I found the Post Office. As I returned to my car I saw Roderick Smith (Voltemand) walking down his road again.
Photo of DT at the stage door this afternoon (Photographer unknown as it was posted on OG)
We woke at about 7.00am and after breakfast my friend went to join the queue in Stratford to try to get a return for the matinee of Hamlet today. Thankfully she was lucky and got a good one in the stalls soon after 9.30am so I drove into Stratford to join her. I parked in my usual spot and we saw Tom Davey (who plays Guildenstern) being asked for directions as we walked back into the town proper. I had a few things to get so we parted while I found the Post Office. As I returned to my car I saw Roderick Smith (Voltemand) walking down his road again.
I met my friend for a cup of tea outside the cafe at The Courtyard as it was a lovely sunny day and then we took our seats in the theatre. I'd booked my seat almost a year ago now so I was back in my "usual" H5 seat so I had a totally unobstructed view!
When I got to my seat I remembered why I had booked today - because it was a captioned performance! Thankfully it wasn't too invasive as it was just a neon board by the side of the stage but I wonder if it was distracting for the actors when they were facing that way. Certainly it didn't look as though it affected any of them.
However I did notice that several times Patrick Stewart got his words wrong and one time when either Rosencrantz or Guildenstern did too, the guy who was doing the board didn't have a clue where they were as he scrolled for a while to find the correct line!
I did find it interesting though that they put up things like "machinery noise" at the beginning when Marcellus is on patrol. They also put up "very French" for the part where Hamlet says "um-bar-ge"!
I noticed this afternoon that during the reception part (second scene) until Hamlet speaks, he just stares at a spot on the floor absolutely perfectly still.
The people next to me had their legs stretched out as David Tennant walked through our aisle so he had to step over them. I'm surprised that he hasn't fallen over somebody's feet yet!
After the play my friend wanted to try to get her programme signed for her daughter so we went to the stage door. I stood back and took a couple of photos while she went into the crowd and managed to get David Tennant's autograph after he bounded out!
After the performance my friend left to drive home so I had some dinner and walked back to my car as it was too soon to go into the theatre. Of course, I saw Roderick Smith walking down his road again!
In the evening I went to see Midsummer Night's Dream which was really funny. It took me a while to get over the fact that they were mainly talking in rhyme and that it was a comedy but the scene with the wall was hilarious! It was interesting too to see lots of the Hamlet actors playing different parts.
My seat was in the circle on an aisle so I had a couple of actors standing beside me in the second half.
MND is shorter than Hamlet so I managed to get home at about midnight.
Next performance for me: first night of Love's Labour's Lost on 2/10 and my next perforamce of Hamlet is 18/10!!!
Next performance for me: first night of Love's Labour's Lost on 2/10 and my next perforamce of Hamlet is 18/10!!!
