Hamlet - R4 Afternoon Play 24-28 March 2.15pm

[mercia]

well this reluctant person with a short attention span has been enticed (and come Friday I could listen to each 'episode' back-to-back)

[Flay]

I've listened to snippets due to work commitments. I will have to record the episodes to listen properly.

I think it's excellent that Radio 4 is broadcasting this at all, although it seems a shame to fragment it.

Why should Radio 3 only transmit music in the aftenoons? Why not put on a 3-hour play on a Thursday afternoon rather than an opera from time to time?

It would be better than the present stupid policy of shifting drama to late Sunday evening.

[DracoM]

EXCELLENT notion, Flay.
OR
for those of us who have online / iPlayer access, what about Shak plays on TTN?

[Honoured Guest]

And isn't the strategy to develop online Arts Collections on iPlayer, as mentioned by Jonty Claypole on today's The Media Show?

[Dphillipson]

Interest waned by the third episode. (1) With notable exceptions (Hamlet) the play is more merely read rather than acted with the voice. (As a whole, the sound effects are more dramatic than the voices. (2) Ophelia and Gertrude are both weak to the point of feebleness. Ophelia sounds far too young (and Claudius and Polonious not old enough.) (3) The actors speak verse differently, i.e. some (Hamlet) observe the scansion while others (Claudius?) simply omit it, i.e. pronounce as a single syllable a word that the scansion requires should have two. (4) Radio 4 afternoon cast lists are normally displayed on line -- but not in this case. We are told the play is directed by Mark Beeby but we are told none of the actors' names. (5) To sum up, the performance is not bad but it could easily have been very much better.

[mercia]

a (limited ?) cast list at the bottom of this page

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03yns3l

[Dphillipson]

Apologies for my error: the cast list is indeed available on line (just farthere down the page than I looked.)

[frankwm]

Interesting point as to whether you would prefer 3 hrs 35 mins of Hamlet divided into 5 daily episodes, or (possibly) 3 hours in one go. Though on Radio 3 it might be lucky to get 2 hrs 30 mins.

How long does the average (cut) stage version last?

I'm surprised that nobody reminded Frenchie that R£'s last 'amlet had a running-time of 3hr 30min....and as recently as 1999..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00kx3rr

..I've the 3 CD set..

[aeolium]

I'm surprised that nobody reminded Frenchie that R£'s last 'amlet had a running-time of 3hr 30min....and as recently as 1999..

Ah well, people had longer attention spans in them days...

[french frank]

I'm surprised that nobody reminded Frenchie that R£'s last 'amlet had a running-time of 3hr 30min....and as recently as 1999..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00kx3rr

..I've the 3 CD set..

Aaarhh - that was just before the 'All fixed points' policy took over from 'No fixed points'. Everything has to fit into shorter slots these days. There have been a few plays that have been more than 3 hours long, I think. Faust?

[frankwm]

Perhaps you shouldn't entirely rely upon memory - although 'Faust' was likely the most recent, in 2010.

http://upuid-www-bbc-co-uk.tru-m.net/commissioning/downloads/dramalist1999-2013.pdf

Shakespeare's certainly don't get repeats/are now scarce.

But quite a few others, there, really should get their second-outing (especially the Philip K.Dick; as I want to re-record it!) - but now there's far too much easily digestible, un-appealing, 'new writing' of the R4 variety (ie: Ms.Gupta's, next week..).

[Honoured Guest]

There's a new Antony and Cleopatra on R3 on Easter Day (20 April) with Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston. I wouldn't be surprised if it starts earlier than 10.00. Anyway, length isn't eveything.

[french frank]

I wonder if it was Branagh's choice - this will be the 4th Ant & Cleo broadcast since 1997 (not sure which were repeats) 1997, 2002, 2010, 2014. Plus 3 MNDs, 3 Winter's Tales and 3 Tempests. Since we now seem to have only one Shakespeare production each year (the list isn't quite complete) it would have been nice to have had a new one. Leaving aside the Henrys in various parts, they don't seem to have done Love's Labours, K. John, Henry V (?), Timon, Titus Andronicus; and several have only had one outing. Edward III might be good too (don't know it).

[gamba]

I take my Arden version of Hamlet with me on my travels if I'm to be away for a while, usually hospital for a blood transfusion. ( 2 pints please ! ). I know no other collection of words providing such pleasure, especially accompanied by Harold Jenkins's notes. (Also, not forgetting Helen Gardner's ' The Art of T. S. Eliot,'. always enjoyable & informative, plus of course the 4 Qts. ).