Robert Icke’s production starring Sherlock star Andrew Scott has transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre. Here’s a guide to what critics have been saying about it:
The Stage: ***** “Andrew Scott still delivers one of the great Shakespearean performances of recent years.”
WhatsOnStage: ***** “The triumph of Robert Icke’s direction and Scott’s sensational central performance, is to make Hamlet feel like a new play.”
The Telegraph: **** “Ultimately, this is a Hamlet with heart.”
The Times: **** “Neat ideas help to make this 400-year-old play feel new — and the delicate, intimate acting is a triumph.”
Exeunt Magazine: “It’s actually the degree of detail, the nuance of Icke’s direction and the performances of the cast that draw attention to every detail so that the chinks in the conceptual armour start to emerge.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ***** “Shakespeare lives in the here and now — but also forever, thanks to a production that will become an instant part of theatrical folklore. ”
Jonathan Baz Reviews: **** “offering an evening of passion and surprise for even the most well-versed Shakespeare student. Scott’s is a Hamlet we can all relate to.”
Time Out: ***** “Robert Icke’s production of ‘Hamlet’ remains extraordinarily, heartbreakingly beautiful.”
Evening Standard: *** “Directorial vision is one thing, but directorial trickery quite another. There’s much playing around with the order of lines and scenes, to no discernible benefit; wouldn’t it be better to leave the structuring to a certain Mr Shakespeare?”
West End Wilma: ***** “This is the performance of Scott’s career there is no doubt. He is extraordinary, possibly the finest Hamlet I have ever seen.”
London Theatre1: ***** “This is a surprisingly warm and inviting production, and a welcome addition to the many versions of this timeless play.”
The Upcoming: ***** “This is a beautifully rich tragedy and the perfect introduction to Shakespeare, showing just how funny, tragic and unsparingly emotional his plays can be. Though veteran’s of the Bard’s works will no doubt revel in this updated version.”
British Theatre Guide: “This is a production that makes the action very intimate (strangely it is the actual soliloquies, brought forward right downstage, that make you aware that you can’t reach out and touch)”
Hamlet will play at the Harold Pinter Theatre until the 2nd September. To book tickets visit: ATG Tickets, Discount Theatre.com, Love Theatre.com, Theatre People.com, UK Tickets.co.uk and Last Minute.com.