Hamlet, Barbican *****

When I was at the Young Vic to see A Number, I saw Benedict Cumberbatch and a friend walking in to see The Trial. As they gave their tickets to the young steward who clocked them and, after they had gone, proceeded to flap her hands with excitement and jump in the air. A split second later, a much older steward had joined her and together they excitedly enthused about how they had seen this living legend in the flesh. It is truly astonishing that one man can have such universal appeal so that both young and old adore him and his work. It is therefore some achievement that I was able to grab a ticket for his return to the stage, even if it cost the same as the last 5 theatre outings combined.

This production may not be too forgiving to a Shakespeare newbie, however Lyndsey Turner's production lives up to the hype and then some. Es Devlin achieved wonders with Headlong's comparatively tiny production of The Nether and has done the same with a far larger stage of the Barbican and presumably a largely inflated budget. In what could be the most lavish set in theatre history, Devlin makes full use of the breadth and depth of the Barbican stage to host this palace complete with chandelier, a deer head and oil paintings. Luke Halls, in another collaboration with Devlin, orovides excellent video along with Jane Cox's lighting to make the outdoor scenes fit the set and create a supernatural dimension to proceedings. As much as Cumberbatch leads a stellar lineup of actors, the creative team are equally impressive with some of the best CV's in the business and they are firing on all cylinders here. As far as I am aware, there is no fault to be found in this production. Cumberbatch owns his Hamlet, creating a believable character whose madness isn't overdone and, by the end, seems perfectly sane in the absurdity of the tragic events that unfold. However, it isn't his performance that lingers in the mind but that of the two leading ladies. Siân Brooke's Ophelia and Anastasia Hillie's Gertrude left me a blubbering mess. Considering how little time is given between Hamlet and Ophelia, Brooke creates this likeable character whose despair is felt throughout the auditorium which is hard to do in the vast space of this auditorium. Hellie's Gertrude is also gets more sympathy and feels more down to earth than Ciarán Hinds' aloof Claudius. Whilst I think that the attention being given to this is utterly ridiculous yet this is a truly great example of perhaps Shakespeare's greatest play.

Note: I saw this when still in preview so it may have changed by press night. However, there was no mention of this performance being a preview and there is no price difference so I think early reviews seem fair game, especially since there have been examples of early reviews being published with no backlash from the show (Quentin Letts reviewing Kristin Scott Thomas in The Audience after being barred from press night).