This is the PENULTIMATE POST in #InkyCloak a #SlowShakespeare Hamlet blog which began on 1 October 2024 and has continued daily (with a week off at Christmas and one day in February when the server was playing up). The last lines of the play tomorrow; how will it all end?

A closeup of a character in a film. Head and shoulders, a young man with neat collar-length hair and a moustache, looking solemn, with red-rimmed eyes. He's wearing a fancy pink and green tweed coat, with a high white shirt collar and a red and gold cravat.

Horatio: I can explain!
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Horatio (Nicholas Farrell in Branagh's 1996 film) is charged with telling the story of Hamlet, by Hamlet, in what sounds like Hamlet's own words: carnal, bloody, unnatural. #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare ends on Sunday just shy of 400 posts!

Two colour stills from a film. The top image shows soldiers running across a snowy landscape - the park and formal garden in front of a palace, perhaps. The bottom image shows the same troops, wearing grey uniforms, with rucksacks, with a group of cavalry on horseback wearing long grey coats, in the snowy courtyard of an enormous country house.

A colour still from a film, the same scene as the previous images. Closer view of officers on horseback, with troops formed up in lines as they ride through. There is a standard bearer with a red and white flag and leader has a gold breastplate under his coat as well as a golden helmet with a cockade.

[noises off] Hamlet: what NOW? Norwegians incoming.
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Because he CAN, Branagh shows the Norwegian army arriving at Elsinore in his 1996 film. With Rufus Sewell as Fortinbras in a nice shiny breastplate. #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare is in its 14th month. Days to go.

thank you! it's a LOT, started in 2018 & just kept going? 2 Gents, A&C, Hamlet are all on the same page; Macbeth, Richard II, R&J, Tempest have their own sites #StarCrossed #StormTossed #KingedUnkinged #DaggerDrawn #2Dudes1Dog #BurningBarge #InkyCloak (not at all obsessed, definitely have a day job)

Have been deep-diving #InkyCloak for you know what!

A photograph of a character in a play. Half length, a young man wearing a floppy black shirt, its collar open, belted untidily over black breeches. He has a sword on his left hip. He is looking to his right out of frame; his hair is messy and he has his right hand on his chest, the fingers splayed.

A photograph of a character in a play. Half length, off-centre, a young man wearing a blazer painted in bright graffiti-style symbols over a white t-shirt. He has paint splashes on his face; he is speaking and gesturing with his right hand, which is crooked at the elbow, pointing upwards with the index finger.

Hamlet, about to pay a late-night visit to his mum...
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Two RSC Hamlets, contemplating their next moves: Toby Stephens, dir. Michael Boyd, 2004; Paapa Essiedu, dir. Simon Godwin, 2016/8. Over 200 posts in and still only in act 3 #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare...

A photograph of a play in performance. On a dimly lit stage, with a partially mirrored panel behind, a middle-aged man stands in a spotlight with his hands by his sides, looking slightly anxious. He is wearing blue trousers, black shoes, and a pale blue shirt, its collar open, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

Claudius is getting rattled...
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Adrian Dunbar as Claudius in the 2021 Young Vic Hamlet, dir. Greg Hersov.

165 posts in, and tomorrow #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare arrives at one of the biggies... 👀🤔

A photograph of a character in a. play. A man with a neat grey beard, wearing a grey suit with a Nehru-style jacket, with a large patterned scarf in African wax print fabric, orange and red with some green, draped around his shoulders, its end hanging down on one side, smiles to his left, his right hand on his heart.

Polonius is on the case! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
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Joseph Mydell as Polonius in the 2018 revival of Simon Godwin's RSC Hamlet. (Not this scene, I think, but still a lovely image of Polonius's confidence that he can remain in control of the situation.)

A black and white photograph of a play in performance. Half length, in profile, a young woman wearing a tight, pale dress with tiny puffed sleeves and roses in her hair has given a folded paper to an older man wearing elegant black tie. There are vertical strings of lights in the background, out of focus.

Look dad he wrote me a poem! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Derbhle Crotty's fragile, addicted Ophelia was shown giving Polonius (David Ryall) Hamlet's letter, in the radically cut and reshaped 1997 RSC production dir. Matthew Warchus des. Mark Thompson.

A black and white still image from a film. A queen and king, wearing crowns, have their backs to the camera; she wears her crown over a long veil. In between them, head and shoulders, a bearded elderly man is speaking with animation. He is wearing a long gown with a golden cloth circular collar which covers his shoulders and chest.

Polonius Polonius-ing #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Felix Aylmer as Polonius in Olivier's 1948 film, telling Claudius and Gertrude that HAMLET IS MAD.

A photograph of a character in a play. A young woman wearing a white dress or nigh with a loose robe over the top, her hair loose, sits at a table with books on it. She is speaking and pointing forwards with her right hand; she looks worried.

Hamlet, having a breakdown? Ophelia, blaming herself? (and being encouraged to, by Polonius?) If boy is sad, is girl automatically to blame? 🙄 #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Mimi Ndiweni as Ophelia in the 2018 revival of Simon Godwin's RSC Hamlet.

A still from a television film. Head and shoulders, on the right, an elderly man with neat white hair and beard, wearing a dark suit and tie with a gold chain of office and a black portfolio under his left arm, points with his right hand forward out of frame. On the left, standing slightly behind, is an elegant young man wearing a dark suit and a pink tie, watching and listening.

Slow and steady, says Polonius, never ask a direct question, let them tell you everything... #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
David Ajala as Reynaldo with Oliver Ford Davies as Polonius in the filmed version (2009) of the 2008 RSC Hamlet, dir. Gregory Doran.

A still from a film: head and shoulders of a bearded man with messy hair and watery eyes, wearing an open-necked white shirt and looking drunk.

A black and white still from a film. An elegantly dressed man in Victorian costume (checked waistcoat, cravat, velvet jacket) sits in a comfortable chair smoking a cigar; a decanter and glass are visible at his elbow.

Polonius, still going (SO many words...) #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
It's a GENIUS plan: Richard Briers as Polonius in Branagh's 1996 film. Gérard Depardieu as Reynaldo reserves judgement...

A black and white still image from a film. An elderly man with a white beard stands with an open book in his hand, pointing at a passage. He is wearing a long velvet robe with a big circular collar covering his shoulders and chest. He's standing beside a pillar, in front of a wall painting of a medieval figure with a sword.

A black and white publicity photograph of a character in a film. A young man with dark hair, wearing an embroidered satin doublet with big sleeves, with a fur-lined gown over the top. His right hand is on his sword.

Laertes is *probably* just having a fun time? but I want details, says Polonius #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Felix Aylmer as Polonius in Olivier's 1948 film. (It's a dreich day, so here's the decorative Terence Morgan as Laertes as a bonus. Butter wouldn't melt.)

A still from a film. A man with untidy grey hair and beard, wearing a white shirt without a tie over uniform trousers; he has a letter or paper in his hands. He is looking through cigar smoke at a man in the foreground, who is smoking.

A still from a film. A middle-aged man wearing stylish nineteenth century clothes (jacket, waistcoat, cravat) lounges in a big wooden chair with a cigar. To his right there is a table with a glass of port and a decanter, a candlestick, books etc. There is an open roll-top desk with papers to the left of the frame.

What is Laertes getting up to in Paris? some options... #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
In Branagh's 1996 film, left-field, inspired casting of cuddly Richard Briers as a corrupt, nasty Polonius, & Gérard Depardieu 🙄😬 as a knowing Reynaldo. Here they plot...

A photograph of a character in a play. An elderly man with a neat white beard, wearing a gold chain of office over a dark suit. He is reading a paper, which he is squinting at as if it's hard to read.

Polonius: please spy on my son discreetly, here's how #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Oliver Ford Davies ❤️ as a gentle, fussing, losing-his-grip Polonius in the 2008 RSC Hamlet, dir. Gregory Doran.

A photograph of a character in a play. Against a dark background, three-quarter length, a white-haired man with a short white beard stands with his right hand tucked into the front of his jacket and a black leather portfolio under his left arm, looking up to his right in profile. He wears a very neat tan checked tweed suit, double-breasted, with a light-coloured shirt, dark orange tie, and matching pocket square.

Gear-change: Polonius, sending Reynaldo on a mission #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Joseph Marcell as a beautifully dapper Polonius at the Young Vic 2021, dir. Greg Hersov, des. Anna Fleischle

A photograph of a character in a play. A woman with short blonde hair stands against a black background; there are three dangling electric lightbulbs in the foreground in front of her. She is wearing a white shirt, just visible under a fawn trench coat, unbuttoned. She is looking serious and gazing out of shot to her left, her right hand by her side, her left half across her body.

Hamlet: the time is out of joint... End of Act 1! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Maxine Peake as Hamlet in the 2014 Manchester Royal Exchange production, dir. Sarah Frankcom - a performance of delicate precision and wit.

A sepia postcard of a character in a play. A pale young man with dishevelled dark hair and staring eyes leans on his left elbow, his left forefinger pointing upwards. He is wearing a dark jerkin with black Celtic-style embroidery on the shoulder, tight sleeves, and white collar and cuffs.

Hamlet: things are going to get EVEN WEIRDER #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Matheson Lang as Hamlet in the 1909 production at the Lyceum, London. Starting to look a bit antic... (A nice example of the 'medieval' costuming tradition which lasted well into the C20.)

A close up from a film. Blue lit, very dark, a young man in a snowy forest, holding a sword up to his face and looking to his right; he looks scared.

A still from a film. Dimly lit in blue, a young man kneels in a snow forest, seen in profile. He is wearing a long dark cloak.

A still from a film. Dimly lit, a close up on the face of a man with a white beard with staring blue eyes. He is wearing a helmet. There are branches in the blue-lit background.

A still from a film. Dimly lit, puffs of miss emerge from a forest floor covered with leaves.

SWEAR! booms the ghost, under the stage #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Much booming by Brian Blessed as the Ghost in Branagh's 1996 film (spooky forest setting) - but we would expect nothing less...

A photograph of a character in a play. There is a silvery curtain and some black boxes in the background, on a parquet floor as in a school gym. A young man stands with his right hand on his forehead, as if thinking hard, and speaking. He is wearing black trousers, waistcoat and a black tie over a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, with a silver locket around his neck. He is holding a black umbrella as if it's a gun and he's a soldier on guard.

Horatio: mate, it's OK. Now, what's up? #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
I love Horatio, Benvolio 2.0, trying to calm a friend spinning out of control... Here's a puzzled, rattled Hamlet (Dharmesh Patel) RSC version for young people dir. Tarrell Alvin McCraney, 2010.

A black and white photograph of a character in a play. Close up on a young man's face; he is wearing a dark jacket and black leather gloves; he is clasping his hands on top of his head and looking distressed.

Hamlet: I can't tell you! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
An intense close-up of Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) in the aftermath of his encounter with his father's ghost: what can he tell his friends? what must he conceal? what's he going to DO? RSC 1992 dir. Adrian Noble

A photograph of a play in performance. A young man wearing dark, casual clothing with bare feet sits on the ground against a rough stone wall, his ankles crossed. He is speaking, and has a small notebook in his right hand. It appears as if he is sitting on snowy ground, and that snow is falling.

Enter Horatio and Marcellus: what's going on, Hamlet? #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
For a residually snowy (or just wet and blowy) Monday: Jude Law as Hamlet at the Donmar, 2009, dir. Michael Grandage. Probably not this scene, but he does have his notebook...

A photograph of a character in a play. Half length, a young man wearing a black jacket over a black top stands looking upwards, as if praying, his hands with palms together in front of him. There is a plume of blue-lit haze above him, against a dark background.

Hamlet: I hate my uncle! I will remember! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
The brilliant Paapa Essiedu as Hamlet in the 2016/2018 RSC production, dir. Simon Godwin.

A black and white photograph of a play in performance. In the foreground, half length, a young man with dark hair is speaking and looking agitated. His right hand is outstretched, palm up, and he holds a large notebook and pen in his left hand. He is wearing a black embroidered Elizabethan style doublet with buttons down the front, open over a white open-necked shirt. In the background over his right shoulder, out of focus, there is a figure wearing a suit of armour.

Hamlet: I will reboot my memory for you, dad! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Daniel Day Lewis at the National, 1989, notebook in hand, Ghost in background. Even in period dress, most audiences won't worry if Hamlet whips out pencil & notebook rather than tables.

A photograph of a character in a play. Head and shoulders, a young man wearing a black open-necked shirt looks out straight ahead. He is standing in front of a bank of 9 screens, like CCTV, all showing different shots of a building interior and exterior at night, in blue tones. Some of them have labels eg Camera 7, Camera 5. A man wearing a suit can be seen walking in one of them.

Remember me!! [exit Ghost] #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Andrew Scott as Hamlet, Almeida, 2017, dir. Rob Icke - the Ghost appeared via CCTV, adding to the flickering uncertainty (if a world away from the rather lovely little glow-worm vignette in today's post)

A black and white photograph of a character in a play. Half length, a young man with curly blond hair wearing a black leather jacket over a black ribbed crew-neck jumper. He is looking over his left shoulder at something out of shot.

Ghost: revenge! (but be nice to your mother, ok?) #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Today's post delayed by a round-trip to see 12th Night in Stratford, with lovely, excellent Sam West. So here he is as Hamlet, RSC, 2001. Many ghosts on a winter trip to Stratford...

Pressing pause for Christmas mid-speech (sorry Ghost, but you're taking your time). Happy Christmas to all faithful followers of #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare; back to my worm's eye view of this very excellent play on 1 January. And to all a good night...🎄😘

A performance in silhouette. Against a pale backcloth, in a spotlight, a man is lying on a garden bench, wearing a crown. Another man, wearing a top hat, is pouring something into his ear from a small bottle. The back of someone in the audience is visible in the right foreground corner.

He poured poison in my ear! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Not telling but showing: this is the beautiful shadow version of the murder in dumbshow, dir. Matthew Warchus RSC 1997. Edward Petherbridge❤️ as the king (he also played the Ghost). Des. Mark Thompson.

A black and white photograph of a play in performance. A young dark-haired man kneels, his hands held by his sides, palms open. He wears a dark military-style coat, double-breasted, with brass buttons. A white-haired man is standing behind him, with his hands held similarly; he wears a similar coat in pale grey. The background is white and both men are casting shadows.

Ghost: they lied about my death!! #InkyCloak #SlowShakespeare
www.english.cam.ac.uk/research/slo...
Griffith Jones as the Ghost and Ben Kingsley as Hamlet in the 1975 RSC Hamlet in The Other Place, dir. Buzz Goodbody. I love the simplicity of the design, the father-son mirroring, the shadow...