Hay Festival 2016 - Playing Hamlet

2016: Playing Hamlet

How do you begin to tackle Shakespeare’s greatest role, and some of the best known speeches in the English language; and what do you learn from the experience?

Two of the greatest modern Hamlets talk about the role. Maxine Peake played Hamlet in Sarah Frankcom’s landmark production for the Manchester Royal Exchange. Paapa Essiedu is playing Hamlet now at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

They talk to the author of This Orient Isle, Jerry Brotton, who is the Shakespeare adviser to the Hay Festival.

Broadcast: BBC, 29 May 2016
Duration: 58 minutes