Hiran Abeysekera as Hamlet at the National Theatre

Dear Readers, I must have seen Hamlet half a dozen times – I’ve seen Derek Jacobi play the lead role in pink tights, humping Gertrude in a very Freudian manner. I’ve seen Jonathan Pryce playing both Hamlet and the Ghost of his father simultaneously. I’ve seen Benedict Cumberbatch taking his shirt off. Every staging I’ve seen brings something new to this play that is so full of what now feel like clichés, but which were new minted when first performed. So I was looking forward to this production, which is the first season from Indhu Rubasingham, the new Director of the National Theatre. It was great to see a packed house for a weekday matinee, which always adds a certain frisson to the occasion.

Hiran Abeysekera plays Hamlet with a lithe, energetic, one could almost say manic style. He can be very funny, but I think he’s at his best when he slows down a bit. ‘To be or not to be’ is rushed through, whereas ‘Alas poor Yorick’ is allowed to breathe, and is all the better for it. It’s as if Hamlet grows older, wiser and more thoughtful through the play.

Polonius is played for laughs too, but then he is a bit of a windbag. At one point he launches into his ‘Never a borrower nor a lender be’ speech, and both his children join in with him, affectionately. What is moving about this version of the play is how dearly loved he is by Laertes and Ophelia, which makes her ‘mad’ scene after Polonius is murdered all the more moving.

And let’s talk about Ophelia. What a thankless role this is! And yet Francesca Mills takes the role and shakes it up – she is feisty, intelligent and, in the end, brings a true note of tragedy. Watching her mourn her dead father was the one point in the play that brought tears to my eyes. She is a little person, but there is nothing little about her performance. I would say that it’s worth the price of entry to see her alone.

Francesca Mills in Hamlet at the National Theatre

And so, an entertaining afternoon at the theatre. Although the play is 2 hours 50 minutes long, it didn’t drag – I shall have to have a look and see if anything was missed out. There is always something new to see in Hamlet, and I welcome the way that the National is continuing to embrace a whole range of actors who can bring their own unique takes on these roles. If this is a taste of what’s to come, I’m very excited.