NEW YORK—There may be something rotten in Denmark, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with Jude Law's performance in the title role of the Donmar Warehouse production of William Shakespeare's “Hamlet,” now at the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway. Law takes the part of the oft-portrayed Melancholy Dane and completely makes it his own, providing the spark for this impressive production.
As the play opens, Prince Hamlet finds himself under a dark cloud. His father, the king, died barely two months before, and his mother Queen Gertrude (Geraldine James) has married his father's brother Claudius (Kevin R. McNally) soon after; his new stepfather thus becomes king.
Hamlet is suddenly provided with a mission in life when the ghost of his father (Peter Eyre) appears to tell him that he was murdered by Claudius. Determined to learn if the ghost speaks the truth, Hamlet concocts a scheme to trick Claudius into giving himself away, and when he does just that, Hamlet steels himself for the vengeance that will soon be his. However, Hamlet's plans cause a lot of collateral damage, leaving those wronged by him thirsting for vengeance of their own.
Surprisingly, for such a dark and somber subject matter, there is a lot of potential for humor in the play, and both Law and Director Michael Grandage mine it for all its worth. A running joke is the swiftness with which Gertrude buried her first husband and married her second. Another nice touch occurs when Hamlet is readying a theatrical performance he has arranged and pushes apart the chairs where Claudius and Gertrude will be sitting.
Where some actors have played Hamlet with a regal air and others with an attitude of foreboding, Law imbues the role with a sense of irreverence, the character's entire personality seeming to change from light to dark with the turn of a phrase.
The actor's movements can be best described as “careful fluidity;” his hands and body twisting and turning to make a point or befuddle those about him. Although this Hamlet is certainly not mad, as some may believe him to be, he is indeed obsessed, usually realizing too late the destruction caused by his actions.
Unfortunately, the acting in several key roles is not on par with Law's performance and thus weakens the overall effectiveness of the play, which suffers whenever Law is not on stage.
On the plus side, Ron Cook has a ball with the role of Polonius, a confidante of the king and career politician, as well as the father of Ophelia and Laertes (Gwilym Lee). Polonius follows his own personal code of never using 10 words when 40 will do, his roundabout explanations and long-winded verbiage often driving those around him to distraction. He is also quite loyal to his family and his job, and while he may be a subject of ridicule to some, he is still quite interesting to behold. (Cook also does an enjoyable turn as a gravedigger later on.)
McNally does a good job as Claudius. A man who has committed murder to get where he is, he projects an outward appearance of calm and moral superiority, but as the play progresses, the effects of his actions begin to wear on him.
Other strong performances come from Matt Ryan as Hamlet's close friend Horatio, and Eyre as the Ghost. However Lee is only adequate as Laertes, a man seeking his own form of retribution, but his portrayal lacks the passion needed to really bring the role alive.
The real star of the show is the text itself, rife with moments of intrigue, treachery, and misplaced loyalty (as the seemingly minor characters of Rosencrantz (John MacMillan) and Guildenstern (Harry Attwell) ultimately learn).
Director Grandage works well in bringing many of these moments to the fore, which combine to hold the audience's attention throughout. Of course, the weakness of some of the character portrayals prevents the production from soaring as high as it could. This is especially true in the final scenes where Law's acting quite simply blows everyone else off the stage: His performance alone makes this play quite worth watching.
The stark looking set by Christopher Oram is quite good, as are his various costumes. The harsh lighting by Neil Austin, along with Adam Cork's work as the show's composer and sound designer, are excellent.
Also in the cast are Michael Hadley, Alan Turkington, Henry Pettigrew, Ian Drysdale, Sean Jackson, Jenny Funnell, Ross Armstrong, Faye Winter, Colin Haigh, and James Le Feuvre.
Hamlet
Broadhurst Theatre
235 West 44th Street
Tickets: 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Running Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Closes: Dec. 6
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
