Hamlet | Sword Fight Rehearsal | National Theatre Live

First targets, second rhythm. A fascinating glimpse inside the world of fight direction, with Bret Yount.
Hamlet was broadcast live from London's West End to cinemas around the world in 2015.
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Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock, Doctor Strange) plays the title role of Shakespeare’s great tragedy.
As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.
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[@VishIshaan]

Literally the night the show run ended, Benedict flew to go shoot Doctor Strange... this man’s a legend.

[@jonathanblake6130]

He really is

[@lyarnes]

So THAT’S why he didn’t greet us at the stage door!

[@gerardwfreak]

And then on top of the play and then leaving to do a Marvel film, he had a new baby!

[@MrDavey2010]

VishalPandey He’s certainly very talented but he got a leg up through his parents’ notoriety. I was at drama school with highly talented actors without the calling card and they never earned a crust. That’s show business!

[@emgg3794]

Wooow 😮

[@bronzenamu7770]

Please upload the whole play. We, international fans, have never seen it before.

[@creativepat66]

Bronze Namu yes that would be so awesome! 😍

[@marijevandam1123]

Uhm, they did? At least, for this week, on the National Theatre Live KZbin

[@nadine9142]

@@marijevandam1123 No, it was Frankenstein, with Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller

[@marijevandam1123]

@@nadine9142 Ah, sorry, you're right, I got mixed up. I've seen this Hamlet in the cinema, but I do hope they'll post it, yes!

[@marghe2116]

It's on Internet Archive! (archive.org)

[@zulalegna]

Please upload the whole play. I missed it two years ago and I never forgave myself!

[@marijevandam1123]

They did :) For a short time, this last week. I think it ends either today or tomorrow

[@marijevandam1123]

Nevermind! Got BC's two performances mixed up. I did go to the cinema and I agree, it'd be great if they post it!

[@marghe2116]

You can find it on archive.org!

[@filmclub7619]

marghe hello! What should I search on archive to find it? Also, are there any other plays on there that you’d recommend?

[@marghe2116]

@@filmclub7619 you can find it under "hamlet 2018 bbc". I haven't watched other plays there yet, but there's a great collection of silent films that I'd recommend!

[@weirdnoise11]

He was meeting fans every night during this run

[@marissasifre9026]

sa rry He is so fabulous. 💖

[@addie_is_me]

That is very generous of him because he must have been extremely worn out by the time the play ended and could have been forgiven for not staying back to greet fans. I guess he realized how disappointed they all would feel.

[@eternalmiasma5586]

Benedict is so amazing! He has done it all! I’ve never seen him in a bad film/show. I am semi new to theatre (I only have 1 actual show under my belt, everything else has been in school) but Hamlet is one of the ones I’ve wanted to do for a while

[@mariannerady1137]

Please share more of those Hamlet rehersal footage, I AM SO HERE FOR IT!!!

[@creativepat66]

Marianne Rady Cool,,i‘m from Germany too :)

[@dorica9218]

Hope NTL will stream this too. 🤞🏼

[@YeahManMillionaire]

Even if I don't get to see the real thing, I'd happily settle for rehearsals. Please provide us poor with some of the clips of the rehearsals and trainings like this.

[@sahinsultana6147]

Benedict's arms!! How this man manages to look sooooo hotttt always!!! ❤❤❤

[@ann-kathrin7439]

Please stream this too🙏🏽🥺🥰

[@andreapadilla5131]

Benedict: "Yeah" Me: *Fall in love even more*. xd

[@b00i00d]

Cool!!! :) Lets have more of these vids! (scary too, to have to do this at speed, live, with a huge audience, emotions high: one little slip and out pokes an eye...)

[@BodaciousWench]

No. There are layers of safe practices that prevent such things happening.

[@b00i00d]

@@BodaciousWench Obviously! But it still takes skill and there's always room for error

[@j.e.8286]

Just saw it at a cinema in NYC - it was wonderful :) Really fantastic production :)

[@bibaolaitan5189]

Why does he look so hotttttt.

[@lupe2067]

Saw the play tonight at the theater in Indiana. I liked it very much.

[@aditimascarenhas5608]

Isn't this beautiful, the intricacies behind the final product

[@OneAndOnlyTyker]

Bret!! Genius. As much as I would love to work with Bene, I would love to work with Bret even more.

[@j.e.8286]

I hope it will be shown in NYC cinemas - the production looks so interesting :-)

[@r.g.36]

Please please please upload Hamlet full play just like Frankenstein😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@marthacosme9648]

Omg, please upload the whole play! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!

[@lindabao4588]

I wish they stream this online. I'm willing to pay.

[@nowisreal]

I love crispiness of his voice. Hot and breezy at the same time!

[@fujimount8771]

They made colorful subs for everybody woo

[@phousefilms]

I will allow you to put this version of Hamlet up, as you did "Frankenstein". Do it now!

[@marksouthall4508]

Kobna has worked with BC a few times.

[@renekumar8290]

MARK SOUTHALL on what?

[@marksouthall4508]

Rene Kumar dr strange

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

@@renekumar8290 He plays the physical therapist in Doctor Strange who Benedict calls "bachelor's degree"

[@sofia_cumberhahn8318]

Amazing oh this hands🛐

[@transvestosaurus878]

Bendnstretch Clangnslash

[@lillytorerro2239]

Are there any recordings of Benedict on stage - like the whole show ????

[@lr4635]

You can see it in the cinema, but they haven’t released it on DVD. It seems to air once a year in different countries, so you have to be looking to catch it. Just google National Theatre Live: Hamlet screenings and see what comes up.

[@lr4635]

It’s the same with his Frankenstein

[@mbkrdzv112]

just Mel honestly spent an hour researching if there was a DVD released after I watched it, he was incredible in Hamlet and I really wanted to rewatch, but sadly, if what I read online is true, the actors didn’t agree to record a DVD of the play, since it was “ something you must experience in a theatre” . He was brilliant tho, hope everybody can get a chance to watch, it is SO worth it

[@rfield4308]

L Russell Frankenstein is available now to watch till Thursday on their channel. Today we get to see miller as the monster

[@Sa-fd7ih]

@@mbkrdzv112 This reminds me of the beginning of the MP3 era when the music industry was like “the music must be experienced as a complete album, we cannot allow you to buy individual songs.” Hilarious how they changed their tune when they realised they were losing money 🤣 Same thing as theatres, “we cannot allow you to buy the plays, you must experience them in the theatres.” But suddenly they are okay with streaming when the pandemic hit and they are losing money 🤔

[@TheSuzberry]

Can we see it in the States?

[@WriterusAeternus]

Please upload the play!

[@ecexx.]

Where can i watch all of it?

[@charleytang9194]

🧡🧡🧡Fencing🧡🧡🧡

[@leticiasilvapinto7068]

In the beginning it’s not jazz btw, it’s samba.

[@ferhatkavraz6000]

Literat kanalından geldim s.a

[@Mentor357]

Geç olmuş ama a.s

[@te9591]

Benedict eggs and cucumber batch for brunch?

[@user-gp7uu8ie9x]

Doctor strange play Hamlet 😀

[@Lauren-Starship]

Or Sherlock playing Hamlet :)

[@minnieyuyantung]

@@Lauren-Starship or shelock play dr.strange play Dr strange(change the position as you like)

[@suzannequeroy6721]

Marvel kind of fight

[@marciebulsaraorcutt]

(Saw what you did there😉)

[@dickb6589]

Cumberbatch is dreadful. Why does he have to hold his shirt with his free hand ? The fight director should have picked up on that right away. No swordsman would put his free hand in front of his body.

[@fandomdomination3071]

As someone who’s trained fencing for year…it’s theatre fencing not fencing fencing let it be

[@fieryvale]

I think you've forgotten that Hamlet was wounded in the arm.

[@dickb6589]

@@fieryvale I guess that's a possible explanation. I'd like to see the whole fight.

[@christineclover4098]

Why is nobody in those workshops wearing a mask FFS? Don't get it. The UK is spiking like mad...

[@Sa-fd7ih]

This was from 2015...

[@christinepage181]

Masks aren't going to do anything apart from make you feel nauseous and dizzy. The masks are porous and viruses will get through, and through the gaps around your nose and mouth. Nobody wore masks when flu was the one that everyone dreaded getting. Plus, masks aren't going to do any good if you are in close contact with someone who has measles, chickenpox, rubella, TB. Masks are a waste of time. All they did was make someone very wealthy.

[@maybebabyny]

I hope to never see a worse Hamlet.

[@natural91LC]

why ? was it badly executed? :O B.C. is a great actor , but I've never seen him live o.O

[@maybebabyny]

@@natural91LC He is far too limited emotionally for the role and also physically he is just wooden. He wasnt helped by some terrible cutting and moving of the text or the uninspired direction either. All in all he just isnt up to the task.

[@sovietninja6865]

Maybe wooden? So his physicality just wasn’t good I am assuming.

[@natural91LC]

@@maybebabyny I see, thank you :)

[@lr4635]

Um, nope - this ‘Maybe’ person is both clueless and clearly on some sort of antiCumberbatch vendetta. I am a lecturer in classical theatre with a major in Shakespearean studies. Cumberbatch is one of the best Hamlets I have seen and his physicality was probably his strongest trait. Just for the record, Cumberbatch also has a Masters in classical theatre. He IS a Shakespearean actor who moved into tv and film. The film industry are lucky to have him.