From the Archives
by Staff | The Stage | July 18, 2024
This week in The Stage 30 years ago, we reviewed a young Damian Lewis performing as Hamlet at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park.
“To fake or not to fake the insanity of Hamlet, that is the question which has teased the minds of actors for centuries,” we wrote. “Damian Lewis has no such doubts about the madness of the ill-fated Prince of Denmark. Directed by Tim Pigott Smith, he ploughs headlong into a contrived dementia of nervous tics and physical deformity which injects a doubtful humour into the proceedings and which makes one wonder at the sanity of the King’s court to be taken in by such a fabricated display.
“Despite this melodramatic interpretation of Hamlet’s madness, Lewis’ fiery-haired Dane interprets his role as that of an almost precocious public schoolboy who develops into a strong, forceful and endearingly pathetic character. Visually striking and dressed in dramatic black with modern nuances, Lewis stands alone from the rest of the King’s court and gives Hamlet the solitude which his tragedy demands. He is well supported by Paul Freeman’s Claudius, Pamela Miles’ Gertrude and David Collings’ bumbling Polonius with Rebecca Egan as the wistful Ophelia and Guy Burgess as a passionate Laertes.
“There is also a delightful Shakespearean fool from Tim Stern as the First Gravedigger. Costumes from Tanya McCallin blend effectively with the characters and storyline with realistic fight scenes directed by Peter Woodward.”
Read the rest of the original article at The Stage