The play's the thing

Last Christmas, idahoswede had given me the present of a theatre ticket for Hamlet, starring Jude Law. Today I went to London to see said production.
The morning became a little more hectic when I had a look at the Stansted Express timetable, only to find out that due to planned engineering works, it would be partly replaced by a bus service. Nevertheless, I made it to the theatre on time, and wedged myself into my seat - front row, but second circle, so I had to fight my flight-instinct (aka slight dizzyness) until the house lights went down, and a perfect view of the stage was revealed.
About 20 minutes or so into the play, I realized that while Hamlet is one of my favourite plays, and I have seen many a TV and film production of it, this was the first time I had actually seen it on stage. And while the films have the advantage of more settings, more costume changes (and, in case of Branagh, more text), there is nothing like seeing a play live on stage, especially when it is such a gripping and intense performance as this one was.
Jude Law is a damn good Hamlet. Witty, expressive, mad, desperate, edgy and also with an edge, and above all real. Not an easy task, to make this character everyone knows (sort of) fresh and real. Law is a pretty good actor, I hope he'll be working for decades to come.
Of the other actors, no name struck me as known / famous, but that didn't matter, good acting is good acting, whether you know the actors or not, and these were very good indeed. The King increasingly torn and despairing, the Queen... Well. The Queen I recognized by her voice (and thus make myself a liar): It was Penelope Wilton, also known to me as "Harriet Jones" in Doctor Who.
The stage was bare and stony, like a castle is supposed to be, with a few props and the use of light (and occasionally smoke and snow) changing the scene, the costumes contemporary. Polonius was fantastic, Ophelia too, the Gravedigger, wow - in fact, the only one who came across a bit wooden was Fortinbras, but then he only has a few sentences to speak and his character is this very rigid soldier, so I might be wrong about him.

I still think Shakespeare should have ended the play with Horatio saying "Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!", and never mind the Ambassador bringing news of Rosencranz and Guildenstern, and Fortinbras taking over Denmark. This is how the play ends, to me - everyone dead, the tower of cards struck down, and only Horatio left to tell the tale.

After I left the theatre, I wandered around in a slight daze. I saw about ten "stuck in the 60s" Mod scooters with more headlamps than lights on a Christmas tree, dazzling mirrors, Air Force roundels and British flags, and old blokes - probably the original owners - in "The Who"-shirts having a blast. Then I went back to Liverpool Street station where I had dinner in the local Witherspoon's, and then back home. Tomorrow, work, and Tuesday, a flight to Germany.