This Is Hamlet

Sarah & the Gravediggers

This is Hamlet is an entertaining and educational introduction to Shakespeare’s finest tragedy. The full-length film presents a TV-style interview show with Hamlet himself, as well as other characters from the play. An actual production of Hamlet takes place at the same time as the interview show, and the characters go back and forth between three spaces: the on-stage production of the play, where you’ll see full scenes from Shakespeare’s play, the off-stage“wings” of the theater, where characters are interviewed by the “on-the-scene” reporter, Sarah Siddons, as they enter and exit the stage; and finally, the TV studio, where characters discuss their experiences and motivations with the fictional interview host, Ralph Holinshed. Hamlet and the other characters from the play are performed by professional Shakespearean actors, and they move seamlessly from Shakespeare’s own Elizabethan language to a more accessible (and often hilarious!) contemporary English.

Hamlet onstage

This is Hamlet is a wonderful way to enter into the complex and multifaceted world of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Whether you’re teaching Hamlet in the classroom, learning about Hamlet as a student, or just crazy about Shakespeare, we’re sure you’ll enjoy this fast-paced dramatic introduction to the play.

Below are sample clips from the DVD - enjoy!