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Title details for Hamlet by William Shakespeare - Available

Hamlet

by William Shakespeare
Josh Stamberg
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 2 copies available

Shakespeare's timeless story of revenge, corruption, and murder is considered one of the greatest works in the English language. Prince Hamlet sets out to avenge his beloved father's death at the hand of his uncle Claudius — but Hamlet's spiral into grief and madness will have permanent and immutable consequences for the Kingdom of Denmark. Composed over 400 years ago, Hamlet remains one of the theater's most studied and performed works, and is presented here in a stunning, sound-rich full-cast recording.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring:

Josh Stamberg as Hamlet

Stephen Collins as King Claudius

JoBeth Williams as Queen Gertrude

Stacy Keach as Ghost

Alan Mandell as Polonius

Emily Swallow as Ophelia

JD Cullum as Laertes

Matthew Wolf as Horatio

Mark Capri as Ambassador and others

Josh Clark as Gravedigger, Voltemand and others

Henri Lubatti as Rosencrantz and others

Jon Matthews as Guildenstern and others

Darren Richardson as Player Queen and others

André Sogliuzzo as Reynaldo and others

Directed by Martin Jarvis. Recorded at the Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in August, 2011.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 8, 2012

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781580818810
      • File size: 93048 KB
      • Duration: 03:13:50

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 700
    • Text Difficulty: 3

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This American-accented HAMLET is a churning, turbulent production with many fine moments resulting from its fast pace. This energy may inevitably lead to a few missed opportunities for quiet and meditation (or for the listener to have a respite), but the overall effect is satisfying. The greatest range is shown by Emily Swallow as Ophelia. Stacy Keach is also excellent--imposing, chilling, and nuanced as the ghost. Josh Stamberg plays Hamlet as tormented and confrontational. One of his finest touches enhances the outset of the recorder scene with restraint and calm. Listeners who follow along with a text of the play will best keep up with the rapid pace. G.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Experience the heartrending dark humor of HAMLET in this CBC broadcast. Though definitely of the Old-Time Radio variety in sound and format, the penetrating depth of the performances and the passion of the players provide timeless tragedy. The production manages to envelop the listener in its shroud of drama and brilliant writing, defining the chilling and eerie passages for which the play is known. Time seems to stand still as Peter Haworth as Hamlet emotes his suicidal sarcasm. Listen to this audio theater gem during the gloomy dusk, and you may be heard to say, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't." D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      This BBC Radio presentation combines a full cast--featuring Kenneth Branagh in the title role--with stirring music and sound effects to bring this lengthy, difficult play to life. A number of production touches help the listener. Seven of the eight cassette sides end with the conclusion of a scene, and appropriate music signals the end of each act. In addition, a twenty-four-page booklet offers insight into each character as seen by the actor who plays each part. Listeners would benefit, however, from a brief synopsis of each scene, as well as mention of the characters who appear in them. P.B.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Listening to Hamlet again, one is struck by how many of the play's lines have become etched in our collective memory--from the Dane's early soliloquies to his humorous exchange with the grave digger in the final act. It's all here in this recording, of course, and the acting is largely excellent. Bob Peck as Claudius stands out in particular, while Simon Russell Beale's Hamlet does, perchance, put on a little too much antic disposition. It's also accompanied by the usual Arkangel signatures--helpful scene summaries in the liner notes and appropriate original music. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      It's hard for any director to make HAMLET sound new, so Naxos has done the opposite: they've made it sound old. This is a remastered version of a 1948 performance with John Gielgud in the title role. Though the sound quality is better than you'd expect, some of the dramaturgy seems outdated now, and the actress playing Ophelia is noticeably weak. But Gielgud overpowers any shortcomings, demonstrating why he owned this role during his career and why all subsequent Hamlets try to measure up to him. In the music of his voice, all the play's famous soliloquies and witty exchanges that you've heard a dozen times before suddenly sound freshâ an ironic pleasure in a sixty-year-old recording. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Simon Russell Beale portrays the tragic Prince of Denmark in Shakespeare's most quoted play, with actress Imogen Stubbs playing the fair Ophelia. This production of HAMLET, produced exclusively for the Archangel Shakespeare audio collection, is a gem worthy of repeated listening. Paul Jesson provides a beautifully dramatic, but strangely un-ghostly, soliloquy as the King's ghost. Also in the cast are Jane Lapotaire as Gertrude, Bob Peck as the murderous and incestuous Claudius, and the late Norman Rodway as the garrulous Polonius. Music composed by Dominique Le Gendre supplies evocative interludes between scenes, and a handy printed insert provides a track list, cast list, and scene-by-scene summary of the play. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:700
  • Text Difficulty:3

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