HAMLET!

I actually forgot that I went to the theatre event of the year - Michael Sheen in Hamlet at the Young Vic. The last Shakespeare play I saw was Antony and Cleopatra (starring Vanessa Redgrave... I know, right!?) in 1995 when I was 10 or 11. I can't remember the last time a well know Shakespeare play with well known actors came to the New Theatre Cardiff.
They announced the big new that Sheen was to play Hamlet almost a year in advance and I bought a ticket immediately, having somewhat of a man-crush on Michael Sheen I just had to go!

So having the whole day in London ahead of  me I decided to go places, I was going to go to the building where Poirot's flat is on TV but I couldn't be bothered when it came to it, I saw the new(ish) memorial to the WWII Special Operations Executives.

I've passed The National Theatre a few times but have completely missed Laurence Olivier, how fitting that, on a trip to see a production of Hamlet, I purposely went to see this statue of Lord Larry as Hamlet. Look at him with his big sword. Anyway I went on from there to the Tintin Shop, in there I saw a famous actor who nobody else seems to have heard of, Stephen Campbell Moore. I told him he was in one of my favorite films 'Bright Young Things' and he was lovely about it, I have a bit of a man-crush on him too (maybe my subconscious is telling me something). I will reiterate - he was lovely! Also that day I had seen Dave Lamb (Come Dine with Me), Andrew Buchan and Tony the pedo from Eastenders.

Anyway, Hamlet! At the Yong Vic theatre. First off, I wasn't too sure about the setting, which seemed to be a 1970s mental home. Before the play you could go on a 'journey' (no Don't Stop Believing involved), a different way in to the theatre, where the staff stood around pretending to be hospital porters, this added to the 'mental hospital' atmosphere. Slightly creepy. I was also slightly disappointed that we didn't get to see The King's ghost, instead Hamlet becomes possessed by him, I must admit this left me feeling slightly cheated. If you weren't familiar with the play some of it wouldn't make sense, I'm not sure the ending would be clear if you were a Shakespeare expert. I think I might have preferred a more classical interpretation for my first experience of Shakespeare in 16 years! It was still brilliant, and in my opinion Shakespeare is more about the acting than anything else! Michael Sheen was excellent, as were the whole cast particularly Sally Dexter as Gertrude, but it was clearly Sheen's 'show' (possibly a bit biased as Sheen's hometown is not far from where I live!). Due to walking around all day (celeb spotting!) my eyes did get slightly tired but the use of Roy Orbison's 'Crying' for the first act climax woke me up. Although, it wasn't all so well received, there were more empty seats than I expected and the group of people next to me didn't come back after the interval - I could swear I could feel them bristling at Sheen's delivery of the "country matters" line.
I'm gutted I didn't hang around afterwards to meet the man himself but due to some inconsiderate burk trying to chuck himself under a train I might've missed my train if I'd stayed.  :-(

The day after I went to see Grayson Perry's The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the British Museum, which was amazeballs! Look, here's his bike (sans Alan Measles) >  

http://alanmeasles.posterous.com/