The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 19.0114  Wednesday, 20 February 2008

[1] 	From:	Mark Alexander <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
	Date:	Monday, 18 Feb 2008 21:00:30 -0800 (PST)
	Subj:	Re: SHK 19.0105 The Best Hamlet

[2] 	From:	Peter Bridgman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
	Date:	Tuesday, 19 Feb 2008 19:31:20 -0000
	Subj:	Re: SHK 19.0105 The Best Hamlet

[3] 	From:	Charles Weinstein <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
	Date:	Tuesday, 19 Feb 2008 18:43:01 -0500
	Subj:	Re: SHK 19.0105 The Best Hamlet


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:		Mark Alexander <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:		Monday, 18 Feb 2008 21:00:30 -0800 (PST)
Subject: 19.0105 The Best Hamlet
Comment:	Re: SHK 19.0105 The Best Hamlet

I am an actor/director/screenwriter living in Chicago. I have seen many 
including Olivier, Branagh, Kline, Hawke, Gibson, etc. For my money, the 
best performance is Derek Jacobi. No one came a close second in my 
opinion. He played it with wit, grace, passion, humor, and urgency. The 
only minor problem was that he was way too old to play the part. I 
believe he was 40 at the time. I see Hamlet being late teens despite 
what the gravediggers imply.

   Mark Alexander

[2]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:		Peter Bridgman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:		Tuesday, 19 Feb 2008 19:31:20 -0000
Subject: 19.0105 The Best Hamlet
Comment:	Re: SHK 19.0105 The Best Hamlet

Of Benedict Nightingale's top 10 Hamlets, Mark Rylance and Alex Jennings 
were both 40 when they played the part, Simon Russell Beale was 39, 
Stephen Dillane was 38, Michael Pennington was 37, Samuel West was 35, 
Jonathan Pryce was 34, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes were both 33, and 
Kenneth Branagh was 32.

I expect the Wittenberg course was post-grad.

Peter Bridgman

[3]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:		Charles Weinstein <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:		Tuesday, 19 Feb 2008 18:43:01 -0500
Subject: 19.0105 The Best Hamlet
Comment:	Re: SHK 19.0105 The Best Hamlet

It is hard to take seriously a list that ignores Derek Jacobi. Jacobi 
and Pennington are my first and second: Beale, Branagh, Rylance and 
Fiennes do not belong on anyone's list; of the rest, I wish I'd seen Ben 
Kingsley and perhaps Samuel West (whose Richard II for BBC Radio has 
some strikingly good moments, though not enough).

--Charles Weinstein

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