Thursday, July 7, 2011
My love for Hamlet was never so certain as it was today at the Theatre Royal Haymarket for Trevor Nunn's rendition of Tom Stoppard's classic Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. The love enabled me to forgo any deep criticism of the work and focus my attention on the fun of the piece and the cleverness involved in its construction. The influence of Waiting for Godot is not lost on anyone, but did Stoppard intend that the set would be interchangeable? Who can say? The lead actors (Samuel Barnett and Jamie Parker) are both of The History Boys fame and were indeed delightful to watch pose and play as the work unfolded. Given the fun they appear to have had, it is not surprising that the work is enjoyed so much by high school and undergraduate students as it is indeed sophomoric and light--but nothing wrong with that on a Thursday afternoon. I can't say that my colleagues were nearly as amused, but then, they haven't taught Hamlet to high school students--not yet anyway. I'll hear their criticisms after that.
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