“’Tis as easy as lying”

Credits

Hamlet by Andrew Scott
Ophelia by Jessica Brown Findlay
Claudius by Angus Wright
Gertrude by Juliet Stevenson

Director Robert Icke and Rhodri Huw
Producer John Wyver
Production Company Illuminations and Almeida Theatre

(via BBC Arts)

[WendyWindsor]

This is the very first Hamlet, that I trully understood, kept me on my toes and moved me to tears. Andrew Scott is an absolute genius.

[kiah]

Also this is my favorite thing. "You can't even play fucking hot cross buns on a recorder but you think you cna play me rude"

[Ramonerdna]

This is actually making the language comprehensible.

[megg]

"play the pipe"
"I can't"
"play the pipe"
"I dont know how"
"play the pipe"
"I literally can't"
"but you thought you could play me, bitch?"

[AndreCrema]

Scott is the best hamlet i've ever seen

He's not trying to hard. He's just a broken man dealing with a broken heart

[AmbieWolfie]

Shakespeare comparing the way we seek thoughts from humans to how we seek music from instruments... I couldn't help but reflect on it and mutter "that is just... genius".

[RBGRBGRBGRBG]

Scott is, unabashedly, the most ‘modern’ hamlet I’d ever seen. He conveys the language in a way that makes it sound less dated than I’d ever heard it. He actively defies the tropes laden in the usual rhythms of the language and understands the it to the extent that at every moment you can almost see their modern subtitles under his interpretation and within its subtexts. Beyond the emotional depth he gave it, which is also his own, it was an incredible, not to mention a daring way to interpret the role. Not to say he’s the only person whose ever cracked it, (I’ve seen Mckellan do Shakespeare in a way which did similar things to the text though even Ian still felt more classical) but If more actors approached it this way, then more people would understand Shakespeare generally in an age where more and more view those plays as encoded. I’m glad to be reminded of his performance online. Didn’t realize it had been filmed 😊

[samuelholtkamp]

What shows Andrew Scott’s talent is how his delivery seems as though he’s coming up with each word on the spot

[Chlo]

I love how tired he seems here. He's drowning in grief and he just seems so deeply "over it" all. I relate heavily.

[oatieinafloatie]

I don't think i've ever seen an actor repress his emotions like that. It's like I can feel his desire to yell and scream at her but his manners give him pause. Andrew Scott is so talented.

[s.g.]

I fucking LOVED this version's Guildenstern! The actress added so much depth to the character with her choices - I remember a scene earlier, I can't remember quite at which point, where she realises just how broken her old, dear friend has become and she just starts silently crying in the background. She genuinely wants to help her friend and doesn't know how to, and eventually becomes another tragic pawn in the game Hamlet and Claudius are playing.

[geekthegirl]

By hook or by crook - I will eventually see this entire version of the play, one two minute clip at a time. Amazing interpretation of Hamlet.

[inappropriatemouse]

I keep watching bits and pieces from this play because I know I won't be able to handle this amount of emotions in its full form.

[willlowsage]

andrew scott has a weird way of making me think of hamlet as an actual character and not just someone to laugh at (in my defense, this scene is usually really funny)

[kathleenkulp]

This man IS Hamlet. Such pain, such passion, such madness.... electrifying

[sfex]

"do you think I am easier to play on than a pipe?" is my absolute favourite line in Hamlet. So disheartening.

Knowing that Andrew Scott is often asked to play maniacs, and the usual take on this is hurt& angry, I was expecting him to go wild, but boy... this is crushing.

What I don't get, is why the woman (can't tell R from G for the life of me) is saying her lines as if she were in so much pain, it's so extra. Also, it would imply she knew what was going on...
The other one though, was suitability slimy. Very disgusting.

[justanothermortal]

Scott is so good at portraying the anger and apathy of a man in emotional distress.

[jman]

[You respect a musical instrument's responses more than me] ...DAMN!!!

[snakeson]

Andrew Scott managed to do a very difficult thing by marrying modern realistic speech patterns with the old Shakespearean cadence, and not only making it sound natural and realistic, but compelling as well.

The last time I saw an actor do this so effortlessly was Damian Lewis, and he still retained more of the Shakespearean style.

[addie_is_me]

Ophelia, oh my god, how wonderful is that Ophelia!