87th RSC performance of Hamlet (my 25th - DT's 66th)
Photo from stage door tonight - unknown photographer
A week ago I really did not think that I'd actually be seeing David Tennant again in Hamlet so I was really excited about tonight! I had a seat in row N of the stalls (in the middle as I bought this through the RSC when tickets first went on sale to RSC members). It was a good seat other than during the scene when the Ghost talks to Hamlet as the head of the person in front blocked my view so I watched DT's reflection in the mirror and Patrick Stewart's face.
David Tennant was moving a lot better than I expected and it seemed to me that he just tried not to jolt his back too much so he held onto things to climb up on the wicker basket and later the bed and did not run. However as he walks quite fast, it just meant that he moved at about the same speed as the average person!
Another couple of changes were that he didn't drag Polonius's body off the stage (which personally I think added to his back injury as he didn't lean correctly) but as they've changed it (with Edward's performances too) that Oliver Ford Davies falls off stage so that just his feet are visible, someone else can easily pull him off. Unfortunately though tonight when it came to the part of Hamlet leaving the stage, Polonius was already gone. Either there is life after death or they didn't think that through properly!
Another change was that in the scene that starts "Safely stowed" and talks about being a sponge, instead of DT running off through one of the guard's legs, he ran in the opposite direction and kissed Guildenstern (Tom Davey) quickly full on the lips!
The sword fight seemed almost the same other than when people pull him away from Laeretes, they were hardly holding on to him - I would guess not to pull him his back and skin too much.
The other change was that Hamlet dragged Polonius across the stage with him behind him and not along the ground horizontally and falling over him. It was erroneously reported in some newspapers that he used a lighter weight because of his back but he has never carried Oliver Ford Davies at that part and it's always been a dummy in the carpet! He carried the body down one walkway, across the stage and back up another walkway in Stratford so there's no way that David Tennant could have done that however fit he was and no way that Oliver would have wanted to have been dragged all that distance!
Apart from that, the rest of the play was hardly changed and David Tennant certainly stood, walked around the stage and knelt as much as ever, although I did notice than often he would not be quite down on both knees for as long. The part that impressed me was just before the "Words, words, words" part when he just crouched down onto his haunches with no wobble whatsoever and later got straight back up again!
I really think it's a real testament to his work ethic and love of live stage that he has come back for the final 7 performances when lots of other actors would have stayed off. I also think it's good for him to get some closure in the part that he's been thinking about for over 18 months.
David Tennant's acting in the first couple of scenes was really powerful and very emotional. He played the miserable Hamlet as though he was very near to tears which was very effective and a great contrast to the mad Hamlet that comes later. He also delivered some of the lines differently to how he has before so I wondered if that was because he had been thinking about the part a lot when he was off or if it was due to his recent experiences.
I did hear one mistake that DT made as he said "airs from heaven, or blasts from heaven" instead of "airs from heaven, or blasts from hell"!
For the "Am I a coward?" line, David came to the front of the stage and left a very long pause before the "Who calls me villain?" line which was effective.
After the play we went to the stage door but stood on the other side of the road to watch. I really think they've set that up badly (it was so much better in Stratford and on the first night when he used the other door) as so few people can actually get autographs but they expect people to stay behind the barriers on a public street! DT came out after about 15 minutes and they already had a light coloured car in place by the barriers. Unfortunately there was a pap photographer there who disregarded the barriers and that meant that a few other people stood at the gap too.
All in all, it was brilliant to see David Tennant back on stage again - I really doubted that we'd see that in this run!
David Tennant was moving a lot better than I expected and it seemed to me that he just tried not to jolt his back too much so he held onto things to climb up on the wicker basket and later the bed and did not run. However as he walks quite fast, it just meant that he moved at about the same speed as the average person!
Another couple of changes were that he didn't drag Polonius's body off the stage (which personally I think added to his back injury as he didn't lean correctly) but as they've changed it (with Edward's performances too) that Oliver Ford Davies falls off stage so that just his feet are visible, someone else can easily pull him off. Unfortunately though tonight when it came to the part of Hamlet leaving the stage, Polonius was already gone. Either there is life after death or they didn't think that through properly!
Another change was that in the scene that starts "Safely stowed" and talks about being a sponge, instead of DT running off through one of the guard's legs, he ran in the opposite direction and kissed Guildenstern (Tom Davey) quickly full on the lips!
The sword fight seemed almost the same other than when people pull him away from Laeretes, they were hardly holding on to him - I would guess not to pull him his back and skin too much.
The other change was that Hamlet dragged Polonius across the stage with him behind him and not along the ground horizontally and falling over him. It was erroneously reported in some newspapers that he used a lighter weight because of his back but he has never carried Oliver Ford Davies at that part and it's always been a dummy in the carpet! He carried the body down one walkway, across the stage and back up another walkway in Stratford so there's no way that David Tennant could have done that however fit he was and no way that Oliver would have wanted to have been dragged all that distance!
Apart from that, the rest of the play was hardly changed and David Tennant certainly stood, walked around the stage and knelt as much as ever, although I did notice than often he would not be quite down on both knees for as long. The part that impressed me was just before the "Words, words, words" part when he just crouched down onto his haunches with no wobble whatsoever and later got straight back up again!
I really think it's a real testament to his work ethic and love of live stage that he has come back for the final 7 performances when lots of other actors would have stayed off. I also think it's good for him to get some closure in the part that he's been thinking about for over 18 months.
David Tennant's acting in the first couple of scenes was really powerful and very emotional. He played the miserable Hamlet as though he was very near to tears which was very effective and a great contrast to the mad Hamlet that comes later. He also delivered some of the lines differently to how he has before so I wondered if that was because he had been thinking about the part a lot when he was off or if it was due to his recent experiences.
I did hear one mistake that DT made as he said "airs from heaven, or blasts from heaven" instead of "airs from heaven, or blasts from hell"!
For the "Am I a coward?" line, David came to the front of the stage and left a very long pause before the "Who calls me villain?" line which was effective.
After the play we went to the stage door but stood on the other side of the road to watch. I really think they've set that up badly (it was so much better in Stratford and on the first night when he used the other door) as so few people can actually get autographs but they expect people to stay behind the barriers on a public street! DT came out after about 15 minutes and they already had a light coloured car in place by the barriers. Unfortunately there was a pap photographer there who disregarded the barriers and that meant that a few other people stood at the gap too.
All in all, it was brilliant to see David Tennant back on stage again - I really doubted that we'd see that in this run!
Next performance for me: tomorrow (Tuesday 6th)!
