From Equus to Hamlet

The Doctor is In… or at least, he’s In Hamlet, and the reviews are In, too!

David Tennant is starring as the loony hero of Shakespeare’s play of Danish intrigue, and he’s getting four stars for the portrayal. Bernard Nightingale writes in the Times Online, “I’ve seen bolder Hamlets and more moving Hamlets, but few who kept me so riveted throughout. Even when Tennant boggles in wonder at his father’s ghost or dismay at his incestuous mother, his eyes, teeth and steep, furrowed brow don’t do all the acting. Indeed, the first surprise is the intensity of his mourning. He stands there in his black suit and tie, impervious to the champagne drinkers partying beneath their crystal chandeliers, and then, left alone, he twists, half-collapses, crouches, squeals and screeches in an agony of grief, rage and disgust.”

I don’t know about you, but it really makes me wish I could make the jump across the pond just to see the good doctor stretch his acting chops. But sadly, I don’t think I’m any closer to doing that than I am to scoring tickets to see Dan Radcliffe and Vernon Griffiths in Equus. (Insert heavy sigh here.)

Anyway, all this talk about David Tennant’s brilliance in Hamlet really makes me worry he’s ready to leave the Tardis behind. Of course, Who fans know that’s inevitable just because of the nature of the show. Just as inevitably, Dan Radcliffe will one day no longer be Harry Potter – unless we want Warner Bros. to film “Harry Potter and the Middle-Aged Spread.” The question for Tennant, I suppose, is just how long we have left with him! Will he stay past the specials to air next year? Or is there a regeneration coming just around the corner? My main hope at this point is that Tennant’s going to stay at least through series five, if for no other reason than because of the ending of series four. (I won’t spell it out in case anyone still hasn’t seen it. Point being, though, a regeneration so soon after that bizarre finale would be kind of cheap.)

What do you think? Rupert Grint as the Eleventh Doctor? Hey, it could happen!