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Atmosphere
is the thing with Hamlet
Hamlet - Bournemouth Shakespeare Players,
Christchurch Priory House Gardens
THERE'S
only one thing more appealing on an English
summer evening than watching Shakespeare out in
the open-air - that's watching him indoors in the
warm.
I jest of course. Whatever the weather, the
atmosphere's the thing and Christchurch Priory's grounds, with rustling
trees, tolling bell clock and the day's dying
light certainly provide that for this excellent
company's descent down the master's doom-reeking
passage ways of Elsinore in the master's greatest
masterpiece.
Kevin Dicker compellingly plays the Prince in all
his quick-changing moods, out to revenge his
father's murder by his father's brother - now
married to Hamlet's very briefly-widowed mother.
Dithering and agonising all the way, he manages
to bring about the death of his mother, his
lover, her brother, their father, - not
forgetting the King's men - until he finally
manages to strike the intended target, then falls
dead himself as an encore. Now that is tragedy!
Lorna Rees puts great passion into a rapidly
disintegrating Ophelia,
John
Jameson-Davis is a very worthy windbag as
Polonius and Gareth Richards breathes fire and
impressively brandishes his sword as the grief
stricken brother Laertes.
Guy Trevelyan-Martin is the cornered Claudius and
Elizabeth Dickins the
innocent - but not enough for her
son - Queen Gertrude.
There's also a splendidly Kenneth Williams camp
cameo from Daniel Sutton as Osric.
Forget the wind and the rain - just remember the
thermals and enjoy.
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