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Tennant's great Dane delights West End with stunning return
Felix Allen6 Jan 2009
THEATREGOERS heaped praise on David Tennant's "mesmerising" return as Hamlet.
The Doctor Who star received two standing ovations for what was only his second full West End performance after being forced to pull out with a back injury.
Tennant's fans who had booked months in advance to see him at the Novello Theatre were expecting his understudy Edward Bennett, who was catapulted into the limelight when Tennant injured himself.
But they were delighted last night when he performed once more after making a surprise return on Saturday.
A-level student Tania Tailor, 17, from Watford, has now seen both actors in the title role.
She said: "I came last week and absolutely loved it. Bennett was good but I was wondering the whole time how Tennant would do it. He was really good, especially in the comic elements, and seemed to have much more stage presence. He interacted with the audience more."
Mark Gradie, 39, a banker from London who was there with solicitor wife Elizabeth, 31, said: "It was absolutely excellent, the best thing we've seen for 12 months.
"David Tennant was superb. To be honest we only came to see him - him and Patrick Stewart."
Retired Diana Pick, who organised a coach party of 48 from Oxford, said: "It was absolutely fantastic, a tour de force. I booked in July and I knew I could fill a coach with David Tennant.
"I'm sure the other chap would have been excellent but of course it was very disappointing when we thought we wouldn't see David. I was overjoyed when I heard he was coming back. He was brilliant."
Theatre enthusiast Sarah Wellock, 24, who lives in Brixton and works in marketing, said: "I would have gone whoever was Hamlet but he was amazing, incredible. One of the best performances I have seen and I have seen Hamlet quite a few times.
"I was a bit doubtful how he would be in the role but he brought a new twist to Shakespeare. It was amazing to see someone you really believe can go mad before he actually did.
"The whole thing was incredible and very emotional. There wasn't a dry eye around where I was sitting. His understudy, Bennett was also brilliant as Laertes."
Audience members from Saturday's performance had said that Tennant was moving slowly and unable to drag out Polonius's body after he has stabbed him. But last night's audience said the actor seemed agile and fully recovered.
Howard Battersby, 41, a teacher from London, said: "[Tennant] was very physical, bouncing all over the stage. He was everywhere and you couldn't take your eyes off him.
"The way all the actors flowed together as a company was just amazing, like nothing I've seen before."
Michael Risbridger, 22, said: "I came quite sceptical about David Tennant as Hamlet but he really impressed me. I really came to see Patrick Stewart. He was great as usual."
The RSC production ends its run on Saturday and Tennant is expected to appear in the remaining shows.
