Review – Hamlet at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester

 

Review – Hamlet starring Maxine Peake at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester

 

 

For many Shakespeare is an aquired taste, Its like fine wine or rich food, only really appreciated with age and experience.

 

Perhaps it was being force fed it at school that turned me off the bard. I managed to survive on the Shakespeare for dummies notes. I could get by on a blaggers guide, I was no expert but knew enough to get by.

That was until recently when my apetite for the the bard was wetted, first with a great production of 'Twelfth Night' at the Everyman in Liverpool. And then stumbling across Othello on Sky Arts a few weeks later. Age allows you to appreciate the delicacies and the craft of the writing. The sheer depth and volume of work, once realised makes you appreciate even more the quality of the words.

 

And so it came to pass that we had tickets for what by some, is thought to be Shakespeare's Most challenging and perhaps most famous work Hamlet. The Royal Exchange production had taken the bold decision to cast a woman Maxine Peake in the Lead role. 

Best known for her TV work. She was by any stroke of the imagination a brave decision. This for many actors would be the highlight of their career. She'd said in interviews she was looking for a more challenging woman's role, and she certainly took up the challenge with this role. 

The greats of the theatre have attempted Hamlet with  varying degrees of success, and many a career is remembered for how they performed in the role. 'The oft asked question by theatre critics  'But did you see his Hamlet?' would be one a lot of actors would rather not be answered.

 

I read that Maxine Peake was the first woman to take the role for thirty five years, maybe because the idea of Hamlet being played by a woman may be an issue for some. However in this production, it would quickly be forgotten once she appears on stage. Such is her charisma that the gendre of the 'Prince of Denmark' is imediately forgotten. With her razor short platinum blonde hairstyle and angelic features, she looks every inch the young innocent. Which in a way gives weight to her performance and the tragedy that follows. Not so much a brooding Prince, her Hamlet comes across as a cynical and petulant schooboy. On hearing of the murder of his father it draws out the childish bitterness towards everyone around him.

 

The rest of the cast whilst efficiant and proffesional, mearly play a suppotrting role to Ms Peake. She is the star and in the intimate surroundings of the Royal Exchange Theatre she holds court over the audience. The well known soliliqueys, are met with a light ripple of laughter by the audiences as they are given new breathe. Its the equivalent of hearing a track from someones greatest hits.

 

At three hours plus this a production that sweeps by, for those unacustomed to Shakespeares texts the words quckly take on meaning and understanding, and the staging  park Denmark part Manchester, make it easily understandable to a novice. In the end this 400 year old story comes across as fresh and a triumph of a tradgedy.

 

Maxine Peake's performance lives up to the hype she is stunning both is appearance and in character. And its a production that doesn't dissapoint. If you've been afraid of Shakespeare or feel its 'wordy' this is a production well worthy of its acclaim and one people will be talking about for a long long time 

'Did you see Peake's Hamlet ?' - 'Yes it was brilliant.'