Reviewing Hamlet for The Stage last night, I was struck by how theatre has succumbed to the cult of celebrity as much as any other creative medium. It's great that John Simm is playing Hamlet, and he plays one of Shakespeare's finest characters well enough to suggest that he may well have a long career as a classical actor ahead of him. But how many people were at The Crucible specifically because it was John Simm in the lead role? Aye, there's the rub.
An up and coming star from RSC would have been, probably, just as impressive. Indeed, when David Tennant was forced to pull out of the first weeks of Hamlet in London last year, his understudy received fantastic notices. But still people wanted their money back. They wanted to see Dr Who.
Which is a shame. After all, the play's the thing. And we lose something of its power if its famous face becomes the attraction rather than the power of the words. Anyway, enjoy the review, below.
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