HAMLET

Listening to Hamlet again, one is struck by how many of the play's lines have become etched in our collective memory--from the Dane's early soliloquies to his humorous exchange with the grave digger in the final act. It's all here in this recording, of course, and the acting is largely excellent. Bob Peck as Claudius stands out in particular, while Simon Russell Beale's Hamlet does, perchance, put on a little too much antic disposition. It's also accompanied by the usual Arkangel signatures--helpful scene summaries in the liner notes and appropriate original music. D.B. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]