--- product_id: 22567619 title: "DISCOVERING HAMLET" brand: "kenneth branaghrichard cliffordmark olshaker" price: "494.35 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 6 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/22567619-discovering-hamlet store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # DISCOVERING HAMLET **Brand:** kenneth branaghrichard cliffordmark olshaker **Price:** 494.35 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** DISCOVERING HAMLET by kenneth branaghrichard cliffordmark olshaker - **How much does it cost?** 494.35 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/22567619-discovering-hamlet) ## Best For - kenneth branaghrichard cliffordmark olshaker enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted kenneth branaghrichard cliffordmark olshaker brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Product Description Two of Britain’s greatest actors stage Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy A behind-the-scenes look at Shakespearean theatre In 1988, rising star Kenneth Branagh tackled the role of Shakespeare’s prince of Denmark for the first time in his professional career under the guidance of celebrated actor Derek Jacobi, considered "the best Hamlet of his generation" (The New York Times). Narrated by Patrick Stewart, this hour-long film documents how these two intelligent, passionate men found new depths in Shakespeare’s classic drama. Filmmakers Mark Olshaker and Larry Klein follow the company through four weeks of rehearsals, from the first read-throughs to opening night. Interviews with principal actors--as well as the set designer, costume supervisor, text advisor, and others--reveal how each member of the company meets the production’s challenges. In all, Discovering Hamlet offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the process of staging Shakespeare’s most demanding tragedy. An Emmy®-winning star of stage and screen, Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius) has played some of the Bard’s most challenging parts in his 50-year career, including Hamlet, Prospero, Macbeth, and Lear. Four-time Oscar® nominee Kenneth Branagh is a versatile actor, director, and writer famed for bringing Shakespeare to the silver screen in Hamlet, Henry V, and other films. .com The combined talents of British theater powerhouses Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh give Discovering Hamlet plenty of star wattage. This DVD is partly a documentary of Jacobi's production of Shakespeare's classic tragedy Hamlet, starring Branagh, partly an examination of the play itself (perhaps the most famous and, some argue, greatest play in the English language), and partly a conversation about how theater comes to be--the choices an actor and director make to illuminate the inner life of a play. The intention is to avoid literary analysis, instead grappling with Hamlet as the production struggles to find its feet on the stage. Unfortunately, Branagh's Hamlet isn't all that good--he himself later called his performance "high on energy but low on subtlety"--and Jacobi, while a great actor, isn't the most articulate director (he comments, in an interview on the DVD, that he hasn't directed since). It's to the documentary's credit that it includes interviews with many other members of the cast, creating a multifaceted perspective on rehearsal. The DVD includes an entire second disc of interviews and rehearsal footage, including the full engaging interview with Sophie Thompson, who played Ophelia, and even footage from the cast party, where everyone gets drunk and sloppy. All in all, an intriguing glimpse into British theater life. --Bret Fetzer ## Images ![DISCOVERING HAMLET - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81GgpMbaZ-L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ PEAKING BEHIND THE CURTAIN *by A***N on Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2002* Nothing is so interesting as the actual process of creation leading to a final product, in this instance, the performance of Hamlet. With Discovering Hamlet, a documentary featuring a production staged at the Birmingham Rep Theatre Company and directed by the fine stage and film actor, Derek Jacobi, the performance highlights young Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet. Knowing that Branagh too would stage is own stunning full-length production of Hamlet on film, observing how the actor matured from this early performance is a unique opportunity for comparison with his latter work also with Jacobi in the role of Claudius.Following Jacobi as he shapes actor's performances and staging for the play, this video is privy to insight from technical staff as well. Narrated by Patrick Stewart and featuring actors who graced stage and films familiar to audiences, the construction of Shakespeare's tragedy is worthy of several viewings. While Jacobi differs from the more traditional interpretation of Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy as a speech between Hamlet and Ophelia, the complex staging is Jacobi's own and unfortunately not alotted more time. Although brief in length, the production is filmed from first rehersal to opening night jitters. A new documentry could be titled "Critiquing Branagh" whose performances are faulted today, but in this setting, the actor is still fresh and vunerable to his director's insights to the lead actor's faults.An excellent opportunity for students of film and performance studies to see process, it is worth purchase if only to have a record of one of Branagh's early stage performances before he became a film star. It would be interesting to haveJacobi's production restaged based on this film for another perspective on the never dull Shakespearean masterpiece of The Tragedy of Hamlet. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good Depiction of What It Takes *by T***S on Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2002* This documentary is a great overview not only of 'Hamlet', but the dedication and commitment it takes to 'put on a show'. This production, performed in Birmingham, England and directed by Derek Jacobi, showcases a young Kenneth Branagh in his first professional attempt at the role. From the first rehearsals, to fight scenes, to interviews with all involved, to the director's notes (a good scene where Branagh is picked on a little by Jacobi), to the eventual performance, this is an excellent primer for what it takes to do this complex play live. Worth watching. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Discovered a Need To Finally Watch This Production,Which I'd Also Purchased *by E***N on Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2014* Loved to see what goes into directing Shakespearean classics.A lot of hard work,tension,even if this seemed like a well put together cast. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/22567619-discovering-hamlet](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/22567619-discovering-hamlet) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-04-23*