Margaret Williams’ direction for the screen is astutely done, capturing much of the intimacy of the in-the-round staging but also throwing in some interesting camera angles and perspectives, the bird’s-eye view being particularly well deployed for an anguished scream or two. And the intensity of Maxine Peake’s sweet Prince is magnified magnificently, her crisp accent a mastery of vocal control which contrasts sharply with the emotional roar that comes from Hamlet’s unravelling here, I was surprised at just how deeply moved I was whilst watching.
Frankcom's strength comes from her determination to make her best Hamlet, rather than the definitive one (which is perhaps where I felt Branagh fell down a little). Barbara Marten’s emotive Gertrude, Gillian Bevan's officious Polonia, Claire Benedict’s achingly good Player King, Michelle Butterly’s poignant Gravedigger, Thomas Arnold’s steadfast Horatio, there’s so many strong performances in this ensemble that the soul simply has to be stirred. The cleverness of Amanda Stoodley’s design choices also come to the fore again and again, making this probably the Hamlet I’ve enjoyed the most, certainly on screen and quite possibly on stage too.