# Hamlet w/David Tennant and Patrick Stewart **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720 "2010-04-29T05:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/21 "2010-04-30T20:04:47Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > Then you might like the version Stewart did with Derek Jacobi, playing the same role, about 30 years ago (although presumably the character is supposed to be the same age.) Man, you try to make a joke and look what happens. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/22 "2010-04-30T23:29:58Z")
I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, but the performance is available in its entirety on PBS’ website: > **[Great Performances | Hamlet | Season 37 | Episode 20 | PBS](https://www.pbs.org/video/great-performances-hamlet/)** > > David Tennant and Patrick Stewart star in this adaptation of RSC's 2008 production ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/23 "2010-05-03T22:18:28Z")
I really liked it, but there were little bits that bothered me. The absence of “fardels” was not something I noticed, but the abscence of Fortinbras at the conclusion… well, in that case, why the hell did they bother with Fortinbras during the earlier parts of the play? Becomes sort of irrelevant, n’est-ce pas? I also think they cut the speech where Hamlet recounts what happened to Rosenstern and Guilderkranz; he just seems to give the line “R & G are dead.” No mention of the switching of letters, etc. (The importance, to me, is that switching the letters is the action of a sane man, a plotter, not a madman… ) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/24 "2010-05-04T00:21:36Z")
> [@BlakeTyner](#): > > My students are studying Hamlet right now, and we’ve spent the past several class days watching Mel Gibson as Hamlet, which is by far my favorite version.\* And, as I really like Tennant and Stewart, when I caught this early early this morning, I had to watch. I thought the leads did a damn good job, with the exception of the lady that played Ophelia–in many ways, that’s as tough a character as Hamlet, but I thought she overdid her insanity bit; it screamed “acting” to me. > > I don’t tend to be a fan of modern stagings, but I did like the element of all the video cameras; that’s an excellent modern conceit to signify all the spying that goes on in the text. > > I liked it well enough. > > \*I don’t want to hijack the thread, but I just think Gibson captures Hamlet’s feigned madness and sense of humor better than Olivier or Branagh, and although this might be blasphemy for a student of English, but I think the production is much tighter with the cuts. I’m with you on Mel. Branagh, who is totally brilliant, kind of overdid some of his stuff, on Hamlet. The very first ghost scene was a little too distracting, and KB just had too big a budget, methinks. Not bad, because he’s a genius, just a wee bit overdone. Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/25 "2010-05-04T00:32:31Z")
Yeah, I think the Mel version is tight, vital, not too stagey, all that good stuff. And I have no love for Mel himself, you understand. Glenn Close plays a fantastic Gertrude as well IMHO. The best movie Shakespeare lately, though, if you ask me, which you didn’t, is the Ian McKellen _Richard III._ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/26 "2010-05-04T00:39:30Z")
Sorry if this got answered, but is it the whole play? I still think Kenneth Branagh’s version is the best, but I have not yet seen this one. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/27 "2010-05-04T01:07:25Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Man, you try to make a joke and look what happens. > > –Cliffy 😕 Was just trying to be helpful, apologies. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/28 "2010-05-04T01:30:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I still think Kenneth Branagh’s version is the best I think that the KB version is, actually, great, if not epic. He has a remarkable outlook, and, truth be told, I believe that he has the best handle on Shakespeare of any directors. Just a few dings on his Hamlet, IMHO. And, they are minor at that. Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/29 "2010-05-04T19:21:32Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > How will it play for those of us who only know Tennant from Doctor Who? Will we be constantly expecting him to bust out the sonic screwdriver? Does he sneak in a “oh, well, that’s BRILLIANT!” or something similar? Will knowing Hamlet backwards and forwards make a difference? Doctor Who? He’s a [Death Eater](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEWQ3AXrgI)! ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/30 "2010-05-04T20:02:10Z")
> [@KittenKat](#): > > I agree. But am I the only one who, when Hamlet said, “The time is out of joint”, replied, “That’s because it’s wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey”? 😃 Nope, I said it too! As did a friend of mine who I was watching it with. In fact, as good as it was, we spent the entirety of production MST3K-ing it! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/31 "2010-05-05T01:20:53Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Doctor Who? He’s a [Death Eater](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEWQ3AXrgI)! How is it even possible to cast David Tennant in a Harry Potter movie as anything other than Harry’s father? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/32 "2010-05-05T02:06:11Z")
Well, you shoulda _said_ something earlier. 😉😛 (Good point!) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720/33 "2010-05-05T02:41:39Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > 😕 Was just trying to be helpful, apologies. ☹ I’m pretty sure he was just sighing about the fact that nobody got his joke. You weren’t the first to take him seriously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-w-david-tennant-and-patrick-stewart/537720.md?page=1)