Why is Hamlet so popular?

You may or may not find the play personally appealing, but the rest of the world and the acting fraternity certainly do! Of all the plays written by Shakespeare it is the one that generates the most performances with high profile actors (and consequent media coverage).

The most recent actor to generate column inches is Jude Law, who is proving to his critics that he can handle the huge range and complexity of the Danish Prince after the froth of chick flick offerings such as The Holiday. The production is currently running at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre until 22nd August (www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk), so try and get there if you can, even if you are not studying it. Watching any Shakespeare on stage is illuminating.

Last year everyone was raving about David Tennant’s interpretation of the role, full of angst and quicksilver wit. Even if you have seen a production before, it is fascinating to watch a new production and see how varying casts and directors can bring out so many different facets.

Haven’t yet come across the play? It always helps to get familiar with the plot and characters before you get to the theatre, so a quick trawl through the scene synopses at Crossref-it.info will fill you in. After watching a performance you can investigate the site further and see what the director chose to leave out as much as include (Hamlet runs at about five hours uncut!).

If you have been lucky enough to see a production of the play recently, why not let us know what you thought, so others can benefit from your insights?