(29 Apr 2004) SHOTLIST

1. Various exteriors Old Vic
2. Various press and full cast
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Trevor Nunn:
"What's good about it is that it allows us to see what Shakespeare was writing about was something endearing, the crisis that a young man goes though feeling suicidal especially because of the death of his father, the discovery of the adultery of his mother and the loss of his girlfriend. A first love situation that goes disastrously wrong. He feels perpetually like ending his own life."
4. Scene from 'Hamlet'
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Trevor Nunn:
"I really had a wonderful time auditioning for it because I embarked on it expecting that I might draw a blank, I might have to give up on it, I might discover that there was nobody that I could find that was sufficiently ready or interesting to take it on. And absolutely the opposite, I discovered a host of young actors, many of whom I felt were ready to be able to do it and would have cast. Indeed I cast two because Ben Whishaw plays it for the bulk of the time but another young actor called Al Weaver is also going to play certain performances. So I've been working with two young Hamlets and it's so encouraging to discover that there is that level of passion and commitment to Shakespeare.
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Whishaw:
"I think I went three times to meet Trevor and as I went back I realised that if I were to get this it would be a really hard role because I felt that even in the audition... Trevor has this way when he is auditioning he pulls his chair up really close and looks right into your eyes and speaks really softly to you and he kinds of touches something inside you and I felt even then that it would be quite an exposing part to play obviously."
7. Scene from ' Hamlet '
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ben Whishaw:
"I think that it is so immensely rich and that he seems to go through the whole range of human experience in three hours, it's kind of amazing."
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Trevor Nunn:
"I think the job of a director is partly to be a teacher and partly to be a pupil, you have to learn from what actors bring to you and you have a particular vision in your head and it's wonderful, it's exhilarating when an actor corrects and adapts that vision because they show you new things and different things and that has happened throughout this rehearsal period. It doesn't matter how old the actor is if they have an idea you want to here it."
10. Scene from 'Hamlet '

TREVOR NUNN TO DIRECT NEW-LOOK 'HAMLET'

Trevor Nunn is giving 'Hamlet' a fresh look in a new production of the Shakespeare tragedy, at London's Old Vic Theatre, by using an ensemble of some of Britain's brightest, youngest acting talent. The new production was announced by the theatre's Artistic Director Kevin Spacey at a press conference last week.

Starring little-known Ben Whishaw in the title role, the characters will also wear contemporary clothing to achieve the desired modern feel.

Nunn's wife, Imogen Stubbs, plays 'Gertrude.'

The cast also includes Jotham Annan ('Horatio'), Lewis Barfoot, Edward Hughes ('Guildernstern'), Nick Jones ('Polonius'), Rory Kinnear ('Laertes'), Jack Laskey, Sid Livingstone ('Voltimand'), Tom Mannion ('Claudius' and 'The Ghost of the King'), Tom Mison ('Fortinbras'), Samuel Roukin ('Osric'), James Simmons ('Marcellus'), Kevin Wathen ('Rosencrantz'), Al Weaver ('Reynaldo' & 'Hamlet' at selected performances each week) and Samantha Whittaker ('Ophelia').



With Peter O'Toole in the eponymous role, the play also featured a 23-year-old Michael Gambon as a spear-carrier.










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