HappeningPH Shakespeare Alert! Go on a Quest for Revenge with CCP NTL: HAMLET

Shakespeare’s longest and most popular revenge tragedy, Hamlet, closes the first season of CCP National Theatre Live with special screening on May 28, 6pm, exclusively at the Ayala Malls Cinemas, Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1.

Following the runaway success of Frankenstein at the CCP National Theatre Live screening last February 2024, Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC series “Sherlock,” “Game of Secrets”) takes on the most challenging role in theater history, Hamlet, a complicated character driven by his inner conflicts, intense emotions, and moral dilemmas that are affecting every character’s life in the story.

Giving theatrical support are well-known actors Ciaran Hinds (Gaius Julius Caesar in the series Rome and Mance Rayder in Game of Thrones), Sian Brooke (Eurus Holmes in Sherlock and Queen Aemma Arryn in House of the Dragon), and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Officer Affable in Wonka and Detective Crispus Allen in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.)

Filmed live from the Barbican Theatre, the play revolves around Hamlet, a man haunted by the ghost of his father and forced to avenge his death. After the unexplained death of his father, the powerful King of Denmark, the crown is seized by his uncle Claudius.

Suspecting that his uncle had a hand in the death of his father, Hamlet struggles with moral consequences of revenge by murder, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state. Compelled to avenge his father’s death, yet paralyzed by the task before him, Hamlet defies his position, acting against reason and the safety of the country.

Directed by Lyndsey Turner and produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, this version of Hamlet seems to dissect the Prince of Denmark and his darkening world with political precision and psychological insight. The staging of the Shakespearean tragedy has been hailed for its acting and visual modern setting, emphasizing the continuing relevance of Hamlet in today’s generation.

For its broadcast debut in 2015, the National Theater Live play broke all records and became the fastest-selling event in London theater history. Tickets were sold out before rehearsals at the theater even began.

The special screening of Hamlet is made possible through the partnership of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Theatre Live, in collaboration with Ayala Malls Cinemas. The CCP NTL Program aims to bring the best London theater experience to the Filipino people through high definition film technology.

A promising first season often sets the stage for even greater anticipation in the next. The conclusion of season one of CCP NTL marks not the end, but the beginning of an even more thrilling journey into the world of live theater. Avid supporters can expect a bigger, brighter, and bolder second season to follow in the coming months.

First launched in 2009, the National Theater Live is a groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theater live from the London stage to cinemas around the world. NTL films their plays in front of live theater audiences, but optimized for the big screen and made accessible to theater fans outside of the United Kingdom.

The actors on stage deliver their performances as they normally would any other night. But to make sure our audiences watching in cinema have the best seat in the house, we tailor the position of our cameras to capture each production and work closely with technical teams to make sure every element on stage such as lighting, hair and make-up look fantastic on the big screen.

The regular ticket price is ₱250, with a special discounted price for students at ₱150. A Senior Citizen Discount for non-Makati residents & PWD will be given, while all senior citizens with Makati resident IDs shall be allowed free entry as mandated by local government regulations. Tickets are available via sureseats.com.

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