The article ‘Jonathan Slinger on Hamlet: 'I'm going to try to achieve the impossible' was published by Lyn Gardner in The Guardian on March 11, 2013. It discusses Jonathan Slinger’s career (he is the RSC's brightest talent) and now he is about to take on Hamlet.
The article reports that Jonathan Slinger stands in the Royal Shakespeare Company's London rehearsal room, holding Yorick's skull aloft and at arm's length.
Speaking of his character, it is necessary to note that he may not be a household name, and is the first to admit he has not got the leading-man looks that make Hollywood sit up and take notice. What is more important, Slinger can be incredibly brave, with a dangerous, almost glittering edge to his performances; he has the knack of appearing unrecognizable from one role to the next, at home with both high comedy and tragedy.
Analyzing the situation, it is interesting to emphasize that Slinger's ascent to RSC royalty came through playing two very different kings: a drag-queen Richard II in 2007, and a gleefully malevolent Richard III in Michael Boyd's 2008 complete history plays cycle.
Giving appraisal of the actor’s career, it’s necessary to point out that when Jonathan first turned up at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1991, he envied the traditional good looks of many of his male contemporaries. There is every likelihood that now, at 40, he thinks his appearance has worked in his favor, helping him develop his abilities as an actor. And in fact, for the past 10 years, Slinger has been in fairly constant demand. Now the big one – Hamlet – looms, directed by David Farr in a loosely contemporary setting: a run-down public-school fencing gym. There are signs that hey are currently playing with the opening, having Hamlet return to the empty gym and sensing a presence: there is the suggestion that it is Hamlet's grief that unlocks the ghost of his father.
It’s very likely that Slinger has been hitting on previous Hamlets – he doesn't say who – for tips. Moreover, it’s an open secret that it is not possible to play Hamlet in a psychologically "true" way, because Shakespeare wrote a series of character sketches rather than an individual.
In conclusion the author draws our attention to the fact that Slinger has already played many of the major Shakespearean roles, including Macbeth and Malvolio. But what's left after Hamlet? As for me, I think the artist is to have a great skill to play the role of Hamlet, as he is a very complex character. The actor has to make him a psychologically understandable Hamlet.
EXCELLENT!
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