Apparently, Michael Grandage has replaced Kenneth Branagh as Director of this production. Personally, I'm incredibly disappointed... I was particularly looking forward to witness Branagh's interpretation and so on.

I actually think this shouldnt be allowed, how can soemone sign on the dotted line to direct a show and then pull out beacuse he has filming commitments on someything he has only just signed for! I for one would be very angry!

NO!!! whats the reason??

See the main Whatsonstage.com news headlines for details.

I do find the circumstances a little bizarre, but I'm more inclined to see this now that Grandage is at the helm. Are there any tickets left?

I think it is great news....having seen Othello last year I think this will now be great!

After seeing Grandage's Othello, my opinion is the opposite of Latecomer's. Very disappointed to hear this, but I see that they're decent enough to allow you to return your tickets should you wish to do so, and I think I'll seriously consider that.

ohh. i was very much looking forward to seeing Branagh direct after loving his film version but hey it's Grandage and i think the guy is a legend

I feel I should be more upset than I am. I think it's too far away and I think too highly of Grandage to bother being disgruntled by it, and it's not like a Branagh-directed 'Hamlet' isn't readily available to anyone with a DVD player and a bit o' cash, even though it's not the one we had anticipations for.

I was seriously underwhelmed by the Grandage-McGregor Othello, and bought my tickets for Hamlet mostly due to Branagh directing. I know that Law has more stage experience than McGregor, but it still seems like one of those celebrity things to me, and with Branagh bowing out I think I'll seriously rethink seeing this one.

The film "Thor" - that sounds good, doesn't it ? So, having rehabilitated his reputation with the theatre community (critics included) with Ivanov, he now alienates them again. No Olivier Award for you now, Kenny old son.

People inconvenienced by this decision:

1) People who have bought tickets for the production as it was advertised
2) Jude Law - has spent a year discussing the role with Branagh who also persuaded him to do it - now he has to accept another director
3) Michael Grandage - has to postpone his NT debut which may impact his future career direction, and maybe had plans to direct his own Hamlet in the future with someone else
4) Nicholas Hytner who now has to reschedule the NT programme to accommodate this

People not inconvenienced by this decision

1) Kenneth Branagh
2) Marvel Comics

3) People who couldn't get tickets, would rather see a Michael Grandage production and hope that all those who only bought because it was Branagh will now return the tickets thus making them available to those who want to go for the theatre not the celebrity.

Hmm, mixed feelings about this. I won't be taking my tickets back, as I still want to see it, but I was looking forward to a Ken Branagh-directed play, as I've never seen one before!

As for the whole people inconvenienced/not thing - it's very hard to judge without knowing what is going on behind the scenes. Production on the film might have been brought forward unexpectedly - so although he just signed for it recently, he might not have expected it to affect Hamlet at the time. Film scheduling is notorious for changing at a moment's notice, and there are many film projects that actors have to pull out of when schedules change and they clash. It literally happens all the time.

If he signed for it knowing that it'd mean not doing Hamlet, that's a different thing!

Little sidenote, 'Thor' is quite possibly the worst of the Marvel Comics. Personally I'd much rather see/be in/be involved with a decent production of Hamlet. Seems like a odd decision by Branagh, I can only presume Marvel are paying him a LOT more than Donmar

How could Marvel NOT be paying more than Donmar? Film and theatre generally work on two very different scales.

I find it quite... refreshing how a change of director has drawn such attention. I mean, it's not a 'Rain Man' "someone's sneaking off under the cloak of night and no one will ever know the true reason why..." happenstance, it's much more straight-forward. But to be offered refunds and exchanges because the *director* has changed, when some companies won't even offer refunds or exchanges when the *star* changes? I think that's brilliant!

I know it'd probably be completely different if, say, Michael Grandage couldn't do 'Madame De Sade' so *casts about* Peter Hall took over; there'd be a short news story on here, some "ooh, wonder why that is?" speculation and that'd be it. So while it could be a little disheartening that it's mostly because it's *Kenneth Branagh* backing out, I can't help but find it pleasing that people care who the director is.

That's what I fear . Personally I think this was not a very wise decision, and at least a bit unfair against many people, but then - I am not Mr. Branagh's nanny, and I also agree with Kathryn2 that we can't really know what's going on behind the scenes.

Your are right - but Branagh always polarizes... And he is a brilliant director.

Bottom line is that this reinforces the point that films are seen as being more important than theatre work - there is a little twist of irony here in that the Donmar has profited from this in the past by casting film stars and benefitting from the resulting audience interest - this time it has worked against them.

I'd rather see the Michael Grandage "Hamlet" too, but I feel he has now been forced into using Jude Law when he might have preferred to use someone else (Michael Sheen ?)

More important or more $$$ ?

Well it's certainly more money but if Branagh manages to make Thor more important than Hamlet then I will take my hat off to him, then eat it and then do some other hat based metaphor just to really hammer home my surprise.

I'm afraid in terms of scheduling more $$$ = more important! There's such absolutely huge amounts of money
involved in making a movie - especially an effects heavy one like a comic book movie - that the producers can't afford to hire an actor if they're not prepared to be available as necessary. It simply costs too much
to hold up or alter filming. It gets written into the actor's contract, so once it's been signed for there's not a lot they can do - even if it means giving up another project that they'd rather work on.

I really can't imagine that Branagh would rather make Thor the movie than direct Hamlet - I'm guessing there's a tax bill behind his reason for doing it in the first place!

"there is a little twist of irony here in that the Donmar has profited from this in the past by casting film stars and benefitting from the resulting audience interest - this time it has worked against them."

Precisely. They're even "casting" stars as directors now to pull in the punters, like asking Alan Rickman to direct something when he's only directed two things ever before to my knowledge (and the Donmar did approach him, apparently - he didn't approach them with a burning desire to direct a Strindberg).

There is more to it than $$$ - theatre directors seem simply dazzled by film and I'm sure most of them would drop everything to direct even some art house low budget film (and several have - even leaving aside Katie Mitchell who has turned her theare productions into amateur movies). What is also interesting is how several very good theatre directors ae really medicre film directors, but it doesn't stop them trying.

I get the feeling that Katie Mitchell will never leave the theatre to go into movies, because then we won't be able to see how Terribly Terribly Clever she is.

I think in general film adaptations of plays are rarely very good, so maybe it's not suprising - they are two completely different forms, and what works in one often does not in the other.

I'm looking forward to the movie of 'Frost/Nixon', because I suspect that it will be very good. However, when I saw the play, I was struck by how cinematic it was in places; perhaps it subsequently doesn't count.

Oh man, there's LOADS of film adaptations of plays that are awesome! Go rent a few of the more highly thought-of Shakespeares, we'll still be here when you get back. XD

I saw the film two days ago. I thought it was excellent (and yes I have seen the play). The film works completely in its own right but without trying too hard to disctance itself from the theatrical experience. It’s cinematic not because it opens up the landscape but because it gets into the mind of the characters with exemplary use of close ups. Somehow that makes up for losing the live element.

Yes, I have seen several very good Shakespeare adaptations - but I've seen quite a few so-so ones and a few really bad ones, too. I did say 'rarely very good' not 'never'.

Maybe it's just a case of the adaptations that didn't work sticking in my head more as play adaptations, because you can so clearly tell when you're watching the film that it was originally a play, whereas the ones that work as films just seem like really good films. Do you see what I mean?

Since you know LOADS, can you recommend me a few?

Ta,
Kathryn.

I really don't know how well this is going to go down but I really really like Baz Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet.

A few excellent films which started out as plays - from all eras. Check them out if you don't know them. I'm sure others can add more.

A Streetcar Named Desire
The Winslow Boy
Cottage to Let
Casablanca
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Madness of King George
Cyrano De Bergerac
The Happiest Days of Your Life
The Shape of Things
Closer
Pygmalion

Hmm, I've seen Closer and The Madness of King George - both were ok, but I got the distinct impression that the stage versions were better. Closer in particular had that 'play adaptation' feeling.

I saw Pygmalion at the Old Vic recently, so I will have to give the film version a try.

I guess I should catch up on the old-Hollywood ones - I've manged to avoid watching those 'classic' films because they always seem to dissapoint, since you hear so much about them before you see them.

Thanks - I'll go update my Lovefilm rental queue. Any other suggestions welcome!

So do I, but then I like everything by Baz Luhrman! I've lost count of the number of times I've watched Moulin Rouge...

Shhh, don't tell anyone but I bloody love that film!
It's got sequins, Nicole Kidman in corsets, songs. What's not to love?!

Probably one of my 5 all time favourite films. Just bliss - I always cry buckets at the end...