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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