We take a look at what is being said about Robert Hastie’s production, which continues to run at the National Theatre until the 22nd November.
WhatsOnStage: *** “A star is born in this new production of Hamlet, the seventh in the National Theatre’s history. It isn’t the Prince, played by Hiran Abeysekera, but Francesca Mills’s Ophelia who brings this intelligent, thoughtful production to its most vivid life.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “There’s almost enough acting talent to keep the production afloat. But when the final fencing duel arrives, it seems devoid of any real tension. The deaths happen, one by one, but we feel nothing. Even with all the stylistic flourish, my bet is this won’t be a Hamlet for the National’s history books.”
London Unattached: *** “Abeysekera is a funny and relatable Hamlet, and he brings a fresh energy to the role. He has spoken about how he sees Hamlet as something of a stand-up comedian, and he uses this interpretation to his advantage. He has a relationship with the audience that allows him to deliver lines with a satisfying, metaphorical wink. His soliloquies feel like he is speaking directly to us.”
West End Wilma: **** “It is Francesca Mills though who steals the show as Ophelia. She gives a strong and bold performance, commanding the stage and causing mischief everywhere she goes.”
The Guardian: *** “So, a well-put together, beautifully choreographed production but one with a frustrating emotional vacuum at its centre.”
The Arts Desk: ** “It’s Francesca Mills who reminds us of the play’s heft, ironically by displaying a movement from mirth to pathos that Abeyeskera fails to register. At first, her Ophelia is a party animal, high-fiving, taking selfies, matey with everyone, not the innocent beauty who’s usually wheeled out but a funny, confident young woman; this makes her mental collapse following Hamlet’s cruel rejection and her father’s violent death, displayed at times through shocking roars of anger, all the more heart-breaking.”
The Stage: ** “Hiran Abeysekera makes a flippant, manic Hamlet in this muddled take on the quintessential tragedy.”
West End Best Friend: **** “The narrative moves at a brisk pace and benefits from an excellent cast who hit their marks without fault or deviation. There is a modern urban feel to the production.”
The Telegraph: *** “To thrill, or not to thrill? This production proves all pace and little power, though Francesca Mills shines as Ophelia.”
Time Out: *** “Still: it’s fun, it’s imaginative, Abeysekera, Petrie and Streatfeild are all great. You should be able to stage Hamlet and it not be too big a deal. But it also makes me miss a really well-worked prestige Hamlet – let’s not leave it another 15 years, eh National Theatre?”
The Standard: *** “Ophelia is played by Francesca Mills with great delicacy, wit and physical precision. Mills is a superb classical actor and her mad scene – in which she, too, brandishes a rapier – is as wrenching as Polonius’s spasming, blood-drenched death.”
The Upcoming: **** “For all the craft, Hastie’s production takes a largely safe and effective route that works with detail rather than vision, but with such a powerful lead, this hardly matters – Abeysekera’s Hamlet is charming, cheeky and cunning.”
Broadway World: ***** “This is exactly the kind of Hamlet you would hope to see at The National Theatre. Challenging, entertaining, and compelling, it takes one of the most well-known plays in the English language and shows us something new. The play’s the thing, indeed.”
The Independent: *** “Hiran Abeysekera leads an offbeat take on Shakespeare’s tragedy, where death is played for laughs and even Ophelia does the macarena.”
London Theatre 1: *** “Hiran Abeysekera is a gifted actor, and his 2022 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in Life of Pi was justified. But he is rather miscast here as Hamlet – it is difficult to believe he is Danish royalty, or indeed part of the establishment in any country, jumping and bouncing around in a way that was at odds with his character’s supposed melancholy, and sometimes talking far too quickly, such that some of the soliloquies felt very rushed, and in turn somewhat devoid of nuance. Francesca Mills’ Ophelia was the standout for me, convincingly plumbing emotional depths and reaching for emotional highs (this being a tragedy play, there was inevitably more of the former) with an engaging stage presence.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/hamlet/