BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / BC... On Playing Hamlet (Telegraph Oct. 10/15

**Posted by Ah-chie** October 10, 2015 5:10 am

Here is a lovely BC interview from The Telegraph about playing Hamlet.

Based on the contents of the upcoming South Banks Show on Sky Arts TV by Lord Bragg, in this article Ben is quoted about how fatherhood has affected his performance (from thinking more deeply about familial relationships to the more practical aspects like not dwelling on his own self-criticism of nightly performances because of having a newborn to come home to).

Once again, Ben comes across to me as a sensitive, thoughtful human being. Really nice interview and makes me absolutely want to see the rest of the Bragg/SouthBanks Show interview!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11923143/Benedict-Cumberbatch-being-a-father-has-made-me-a-better-Hamlet.html

Enjoy!

-Val

**Posted by ukaunz** October 10, 2015 6:28 am

Thanks for posting this Val, I'd seen it on tumblr and then lost it again before I'd had a chance to read it A very good article, I love all the quotes from Ben. (Pity the writer didn't check their work for mistakes, I spotted a few!) One interesting thing was "Cumberbatch's first son was announced to the world on June 1, with the actor releasing an intimate photograph of him cradling the newborn." Don't remember seeing a photo like that, did I miss it? Anyway, I hope I get a chance to see this South Bank Show thing.

**Posted by mrshouse** October 10, 2015 7:20 am

It's very nice to finally have an interview about this work.
I'm very much looking forward to learn more about it, I hope we will get more information.
I never thought about the connection of being a father and playing Hamlet, but of course it makes perfect sense, being all about child-parent-relation, being an adult and taking responsibility as well as more aspects like friendship and betrayal.
I was very glad to hear that he eats.
Just a thing for the press: Could you please stop that mantra of "they married in February, son born in June...". Everybody knows this by now, it's not breaking news. Or will you still be writing this when Ben and Sophie celebrate their first anniversary?
Oh, and Benedict: A newborn is strictly speaking not older than 28 days.
Your son is four months and most probably blabbing, playing with his hands and feet and rolling on his stomach and back.
(Sorry for nitpicking, now back to my books....)

**Posted by Vhanja** October 10, 2015 7:44 am

Lovely interview, thanks for sharing!

But wait a minute... it says that the press release of the birth of his son was accompanied with a picture of him crading the boy...?

**Posted by Ah-chie** October 10, 2015 12:19 pm

I'm glad you folks enjoyed it.

My joy in reading the article was less with the content written by the correspondent and more with the quotes from Ben (that is what is important, after all, isn't it? ).

It actually co-ordinates quite nicely with what BC has said in the past - that he likes the idea that his life as a family man (husband and father) will be less focused on himself and more well-rounded (as he has others to return to when he gets home now). It sounds like he has got his life very much in balance now and that makes him very contented now.

I really don't care how many times it is repeated in the press about his marriage or birth of his son. I like reading it every time. Because it keeps reminding me of how Ben has finally got, in his personal life, what he has wanted for a very long time! And you can see that in his smile in many of the photos that have been taken (like in the one that accompanied the article of Ben and Sophie at the Burberry fashion show).

-Val

**Posted by Russell** October 11, 2015 12:39 am

Vhanja wrote:
Lovely interview, thanks for sharing!

But wait a minute... it says that the press release of the birth of his son was accompanied with a picture of him crading the boy...?

I second this! Aww… how very sweet… thanks for sharing the article, and it sounds like he's as intelligently grounded and happy (if not busy) as ever. And I just wanted to share in the puzzled 'huh' over that line about the photograph a couple of you are commenting on (I don't see it? Hey, maybe they got enough confused/corrective comments about it, they fixed it!). I distinctly remember two photos out there of Ben holding the newborn of two different friends of his… most likely, those silly reporters tried to google for photos, saw those, and figured one of them was his. Just sayin'… it's not like they always fact-check themselves on other 'celebrity tidbits'.

**Posted by Ah-chie** October 11, 2015 2:20 am

Russell wrote:
Aww… how very sweet… thanks for sharing the article, and it sounds like he's as intelligently grounded and happy (if not busy) as ever. .

Seems that way to me too.

Remembering how contemplative he was in Shanghai when questioned about whether fatherhood would affect his career, it doesn't surprise me he is even more introspective about how being a father has enhanced his process of performing. And he seems to also be thinking about how his own childhood (and how he was parented) ties into this meditative aspect of accessing his characterisations on stage in this play.

Intelligently grounded... indeed!

It must be so exciting for him. To not only become a father finally (something he has longed for, for so many years now) but to find that it has allowed him to open up avenues of performance and understanding that has enhanced his professional life as well as his personal life. As he said - serendipity... no doubt about it!

I hope that the full on-air production of this interview allows him to expand on this interesting aspect of his process. I won't be able to see it on Sky TV (naturally being in Canada and having no access to Sky Arts) but no doubt it will be up on Youtube (or some such video thingy) shortly. Holding my breath and crossing my fingers!

-Val

**Posted by besleybean** October 14, 2015 2:57 pm

That's the one that's on Sky Arts at 9PM tonight, I take it?

**Posted by Ah-chie** October 15, 2015 8:14 pm

Yes, that's the one.

I managed to see it before it was pulled on Londonphile's site and it was remarkable.

Both the interviewer (Lord Bragg) and BC were so insightful about the language of Hamlet and how it ties into the themes.

Really truly interesting (and I would have to imagine to anyone who is a student of Shakespeare or theatre in general) to hear the conversation between these two very well-versed men who have so much to bring to the table when discussing the ideas and verse of Hamlet.

The quotes from the newspaper article were absolutely accurate (no matter how you feel about the other non-quote material in the article) but to hear them within the context of the entire interview and from Ben's own mouth (with all of his expressions and body language as well) was a real joy. He really shines throughout the interview IMO and is certainly in his element.

Tonight Dan and I are off to see the NTLive presentation of Hamlet at our local cinema and I can't wait!

I love the language and poetry of Shakespeare and there's nothing like seeing it performed by an actor who is truly worthy of such brilliant writing like Benedict.

-Val

**Posted by besleybean** October 15, 2015 8:40 pm

Yeah I saw it last night, a few of us have been talking about it on the :' let's all talk lovely things about Benedict' thread.
Brought back lovely memories of me seeing Hamlet live on Mon night.
I thought those school kids were amazing!

**Posted by SusiGo** October 15, 2015 9:05 pm

Please note that we now have a thread for the South Bank Show interview. Feel free to post your impressions also in there since many of us probably will not be able to watch it in full.