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. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, this hour-long film documents how Kenneth Branagh and Derek Jacobi, two intelligent and passionate men, found new depths in Shakespeare’s classic drama, Hamlet. Filmmakers Mark Olshaker and Larry Klein follow the company through four weeks of rehearsals, from the first read-throughs to opening night.
Derek Jacobi
as Himself
Kenneth Branagh
as Himself / Hamlet
Richard Easton
as Himself / Claudius
Patrick Stewart
as Narrator
Richard Clifford
as Himself / Horatio
Edward Jewesbury
as Himself / Polonius
David Parfitt
as Himself / Rosencrantz
Sophie Thompson
as Herself / Ophelia
Jay Villiers
as Himself / Laertes
Jimmy Yuill
as Himself / Guildenstern