The current Hamlet, now on Broadway starring Jude Law, is still Hamlet, arguably the greatest play ever written, and the timeless brilliance of Shakespeare's drama and humor are there. The grim, dark set by Christopher Oram is a powerful presence, and his costumes, a contemporary black or brown palette (except for The Players who are in white), the brilliant lighting by Neil Austin vividly highlighting the action, and the great fencing, all well staged by director Michael Grandage, give a balance to the production's flaws.
The play is performed mostly in a hammy 19th-Century presentational style with lines being sung and declaimed instead of spoken. Some of the casting is "out of joint," like a Ghost and Player King who is about 20 or 30 years too old for the parts he is playing, a dingy young Ophelia without the tender, feminine vulnerability the part needs, and a garbled, whining, compassionless Fortinbras at the end. Some of the speeches, like Polonius' advice to his son Laertes, and Claudius's soliloquy which is cried on one note, are recited without variation, exploration, real life. Gertrude (Geraldine James) is terrific.
Okay, Jude Law. He's so cute he should be in the movies. Even when he contradicts by action the advice he gives to The Players -- he has a gesture for every word, and he does saw the air with his hands -- he has great presence, he cavorts very well, has many amusing moments, and helps make much of the evening fun and quite absorbing. The audience seemed to like it a lot, and despite my being picky picky picky, I'm glad I went. "The play's the thing....."
