David Tennant reprises role in RSC Hamlet for BBC Two
29 May 2009
The Royal Shakespeare Company's award-winning production of Hamlet, directed by RSC Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran, and with David Tennant in the title role, will premiere on BBC Two later this year.
Produced by Illuminations, the screen version of Shakespeare's great tragedy will retain the quality and tone of the critically acclaimed stage production but filming will take place on location. All key original members of the cast, including Patrick Stewart as Claudius, are confirmed to star in this special 180 minute production, alongside the same creative team.
RSC Artistic Director Michael Boyd said; “We are very pleased that this RSC production will be seen by so many people when broadcast. As the show was sold out for its entire run, this is a really great opportunity for our work to be seen by so many who could not come to the theatre and see it on stage.”
Filming begins in June for broadcast later this year on BBC Two. Broadcasts in the US and Japan will follow in 2010. Illuminations previously worked with Doran and the RSC on the filmed version of Macbeth with Antony Sher and Harriet Walter. Chris Seager will be in post as Director of Photography; Robert Jones, who designed the stage production, will also design the film and, as on stage, the music is composed by Paul Englishby, the movement director is Mike Ashcroft and the fight director is Terry King.
John Wyver is the producer for Illuminations and Bethan Jones is Executive Producer for BBC Wales. The project was commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning and George Entwistle, Controller, BBC Knowledge Commissioning.
The director Gregory Doran said “Contrary to press reports at the time, the RSC always had plans to make a recording of this production but had the inevitable long journey in getting the cast together again and securing funding for this project. The Hamlet cast and the RSC are all really delighted that we now have the chance to share this show with audiences around the world, and I would like to thank all those involved in making this plan a reality at last”
Janice Hadlow, Controller BBC Two said “It's a wonderful opportunity to bring one of the great stage successes of last year to a wider audience.”
To support the new film of Hamlet, a rich online BBC site is being created in collaboration with the RSC. It will feature behind-the-scenes stills and footage; specially shot interviews with the actors talking about their characters and how they've approached the play; further interviews, with the director and other key backstage personnel; and a comprehensive range of links through to the full depth of BBC Learning's content on Shakespeare and RSC Education's content on Shakespeare in performance.
George Entwistle, Controller, BBC Knowledge Commissioning said "We hope we can use our experience in building compelling online sites to encourage a large TV audience to pursue their interest in Hamlet and Shakespeare as far as possible, off the back of a superb TV version of the play."
Further information
For more information on the RSC, please contact philippa.harland@rsc.org.uk or 0207 845 0512.
Notes to Editors:
DVD of the film is planned and will be on sale after the broadcast date – further details to follow.
Casting information
David Ajala (Reynaldo), Sam Alexander (Rosencrantz and Second Gravedigger), Edward Bennett (Laertes), Ricky Champ (Lucianus) Ewen Cummins (Barnardo), Robert Curtis (Fortinbras and Francisco), Tom Davey (Guildenstern), Peter De Jersey (Horatio), Penny Downie (Gertrude), Samuel Dutton (Dumbshow King and Court Attendant), Oliver Ford Davies (Polonius), Ryan Gage (Osric), Mariah Gale (Ophelia), Mark Hadfield (Gravedigger), Andrea Harris (Cornelia), Jim Hooper (Priest), Keith Osborn (Marcellus), Roderick Smith (Voltemand), Patrick Stewart (Claudius/Ghost), Riann Steele (Lady in Waiting), David Tennant (Hamlet) and Zoe Thorne (Lady in Waiting), John Woodvine (Player King).
The original stage production of Hamlet played in repertoire at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 24 July – 15 November 2008, followed by perfomances at the Novello Theatre, London from 3 December 2008 – 10 January 2009
Production Company
Illuminations is an award-winning production company specialising in the arts. Previous Illuminations screen versions of major stage productions include Richard II (1997) directed by Deborah Warner with Fiona Shaw, Gloriana, a Film (1999) from Phyllida Lloyd's production with Opera North, and the RSC's Macbeth (2001). The company recently won the 2009 Performing Arts Rose d'Or for its film The Eternity Man (2008), directed by Julien Temple.
Director of Photography
Chris Seager has worked on numerous feature films and television dramas including the recent Renee Zellweger comedy New in Town (2009), Wild Child (2008) with Emma Richardson, Paul Schrader's The Walker (2007), Stormbreaker (2006) and the horror film White Noise (2005). He has won two BAFTA awards for lighting and photography and his recent feature film The Merry Gentleman, with Michael Keaton, opened in the US this month to great reviews.
Gregory Doran, Director
For the RSC, Greg has directed Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Love's Labour's Lost (2008), Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth, The Winter's Tale, King John, Timon of Athens, Henry VIII, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Cyrano de Bergerac , Oroonoko. The Odyssey adapted by Derek Walcott, Jubilee by Peter Barnes, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew and The Tamer Tamed, All's Well That Ends Well, Othello, Venus and Adonis, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Sejanus, The Canterbury Tales. Greg also led a season of five seldom performed Jacobean and Elizabethan plays and directed The Island Princess by John Fletcher. This project received an Olivier Award for Special Achievement for the season. In 2005 he headed up another season of neglected Jacobean plays in the Swan Theatre which formed the Gunpowder season, one of which, Sejanus, he directed. In 2009 his production of Hamlet, with David Tennant in the title role, won The Whatsonstage Best Regional production for its run at The Courtyard Theatre, and Theatre Event of the Year.
Elsewhere, Greg's productions include: The Giant by Antony Sher (Hampstead Theatre 2007), Mahler's Conversion by Ronald Harwood (Aldwych Theatre), York Millennium Mystery Plays (York Minster), Black Comedy and The Real Inspector Hound (Donmar Warehouse Productions – Comedy Theatre), Titus Andronicus (Market Theatre Johannesburg and RNT Studio – TMA Award for Best Production), Twelfth Night, Ulysses (in Dermot Bolger's adaptation, Philadelphia), A Midsummer Night's Dream (NY State University), The Joker of Seville (Walcott/McDermott musical, Boston/Trinidad), Edward Bond's September (Canterbury Cathedral), Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Theatr Clwyd), Two Dogs and Freedom (Sadlers Wells and Channel 4), Artistic Director of Century Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest, Bedroom Farce, An Inspector Calls, Private Lives. Associate Director of Nottingham Playhouse: Long Day's Journey Into Night, Waiting For Godot, The Norman Conquests, Hester, The Rose and The Ring.
Tony Cranstoun, Editor
Tony has a BAFTA for Editing on The Royle Family, three other BAFTA nominations and two RTS Awards for Editing. His recent credits include the features A Film with Me in Itand (forthcoming), Perrier's Bounty and Mr Bean's Holiday. Recent television credits include episodes of Funland and The Street as well as the Bradford Riots, The Old Curiosity Shop and Wallander.
