Hamlet
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Matthews, Urie, Linklater, Gehringer, Foxworth
Photo by Henry DiRocco
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By Ben Miles
Hamlet has at last arrived at South Coast Repertory. In its illustrious 43 seasons of play production, SCR has never before staged this challenging tragedy. So now the question is: To see or not to see? Under the unwieldy direction of Daniel Sullivan, the answer, like Hamlet himself, is ambivalent.
While there's much to appreciate in this truncated three-hour version (the unedited text amounts to a four-hour plus theatrical marathon)--including Ralph Funicello's gloriously medieval scenic design, terrific sword fighting sequences choreographed by Robin McFarquhar, and fully inhabited performances by Dakin Matthews as Polonius; Robert Foxworth as Claudius; and Linda Gehringer as Gertrude--what's missing is an impressive Prince Hamlet. Hamish Linklater is sorely miscast as the melancholy Dane. Though Linklater is a competent sit-com actor (he co-stars in CBS's "The New Adventures of Old Christine") he's in over his crown in this demanding role.
A quick refresher: After the suspicious death of King Hamlet, the monarch's brother and son Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, ascends to the throne. Claudius hastily marries Queen Gertrude, the deceased King's wife and Hamlet's mother, as Hamlet descends into a profound depression. In the depths of his despair, Hamlet has a vision in the form of his father's ghost. The apparition demands that Hamlet seek revenge on his behalf. Hamlet procrastinates, ruminates, imitates, and finally (spoiler alert!), disseminates his vengeance.
Does this production allow the tragedy to work, making the long dramatic journey worthwhile? At the very least, there's always the vitality of Shakespeare's language. It's a never-ending fascination to hear phrases, first coined by the Bard, interpreted by present-day actors. Verbal jewels such as "Brevity is the soul of wit," and "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so," are marvels of English, as well as pearls of western philosophy. It's unfortunate, however, that the actor playing Hamlet is not as great as the play that heralds his character's name.
Hamlet is presented on the Segerstrom Stage of the South Coast Repertory, in Costa Mesa, June 1 - July 1, 2007.Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m. Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For details, dial (714) 708 - 5555. For more details visit, www.scr.org.
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