Suddenly, "Hamlet" is sprouting
up everywhere in Brooklyn.
For those who missed Peter Brook’s re-imagining of arguably Shakespeare’s
most profound psychological tragedy at the Brooklyn Academy of
Music last month, here’s a little secret: you were the lucky
ones. Brook – whose inarguable and incalculable influence on
modern theater is as much to be praised as it is to be denigrated
– parsed the play down to what he called its "essentials,"
lopping off whole speeches, editing out several characters and
even rearranging the order of scenes.
What was left Brook called "The Tragedy of Hamlet."
And that it was: rather than illuminate a work that can be interpreted
in manifold ways, Brook’s "Hamlet" actually did the
opposite, closing off any possible entry into this deeply complex
character, enacted with often frivolous abandon by Adrian Lester.
But there is hope for "Hamlet" lovers: coming to BAM
(possibly as atonement for the Brook debacle?) for only five
performances May 30-June 2 is the Royal National Theatre production
of "Hamlet." Whether this current version is a "Hamlet"
that does justice to Shakespeare’s immortal words remains to
be seen, but advance word from the road is heartening.
Portraying Hamlet for the first time in his storied stage career
is British actor Simon Russell Beale, whom BAM audiences may
remember as a most disturbing Iago in the Royal National Theatre’s
1998 "Othello." Speaking on the phone from Phoenix,
one of this production’s several American stops, Beale has nothing
but praise for the audiences who’ve seen the play.
"It’s been absolutely fantastic throughout America,"
Beale says, "very good audiences who have picked up on the
humor in the play." Beale points this out because this staging
of the work doesn’t, in the actor’s opinion, grovel to get its
audiences to laugh.
"Hamlet’s humor is very ironic and wry, unlike the usual
broad humor we see," he explains. "I’ve never thought
of dumbing down for an audience – there are no gags in ’Hamlet’
– but it is a difficult balance because you want to tell the
story as straightforwardly as you can without sacrificing the
complexity."
Portraying this least graspable of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes
is a new experience for Beale. "I was in the Kenneth Branagh
film [the four-hour 1996 version of nearly the entire text] playing
a very small part, but I’ve never done him before," Beale
admits. "I knew that there were things I didn’t want to
do, and I was actually scared of dealing with the madness aspect
of his character. I didn’t want to just casually sexually assault
my mother. But the gentleness of him really took me by surprise
he can be arrogant, vicious and cruel, but he’s essentially a
noble soul, surely a ’sweet prince’."
Beale’s Hamlet is as different from Brook’s as he is from, say,
Laurence Olivier’s classic portrayal, the actor notes. "Mine
is a little bit softer Hamlet, quite romantic actually,"
he says, then after a well-placed pause, continues: "And
I’m not romantic-looking at all." (Nonetheless Beale’s performance
did lead to his recent Olivier Award nomination.)
This version of "Hamlet," Beale says, looks at everyone
sympathetically (except poor, unfortunate Fortinbras who, like
in the Brook edition, is completely cut out). "My director
[John Caird] said to me that he wanted to give everybody the
benefit of the doubt," Beale reveals. "The play is
about people who are destroyed by betrayals. I love the idea
that Ophelia and Hamlet could have a great relationship, for
example, but the little betrayals make that impossible. He is
definitely the loneliest character I’ve ever played."
When Beale performed his scene-stealing Iago in Brooklyn, it
was in the BAM Harvey Theatre (then called the Majestic), which
left a profound effect on him. "I love that small space.
It is absolutely wonderful," he exclaims. "And I’m
very much interested to see what the big space [the Opera House]
is like."
Just as BAM’s audiences are very much interested to see what
Beale’s Hamlet is like.
The Royal National Theatre production
of "Hamlet" runs May 30 through June 2 at the BAM Howard
Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave.). All performances are
at 7:30 pm except June 2 at 2 pm. Tickets are $75, $50 and $25.
For tickets, call (718) 636-4100.
