Show I HAMLET HAMiET PLAYED IN MODERN CLOTHES REALLY POPULAR of Londoners Londoner's Venture Proves Successful Principal Drama Smokes on Stage Enthusiastic Audience Lavishes Applause Queen in Short Skirts The New Yorker abroad a has hai haibe Ham Ham- HamIe la lato a be n to see eo London's latest in gray gra toan le to an an amazing Hamlet dg- dg ports clothes who smokes ts is and hitches up his trousers trouser She tells in Inn sits down clown wen w V en ho n ii dispatch loday today how London the Inno a i getting away lon ton 1 and ands Is s con converting con the ancient play of or Shakespeare Shake peare Into a superb modern tragedy to 10 the i im m nt of 01 o sincere applause I I InY nY BY JESSIE TESSIE If OX I Tho Now New Abroad Special I Correspondent of ot or The Tho STandard I Copyright 1925 by The Consoli Consoli- Consolidated Consolidated dated Press Association A LONDON Sept 19 Hamlet 19 Hamlet In ht hta Inn I sports suit knickers and andry andry n It gray bray I Ir y r-y r- r cap c if I Into o Ophelias Ophelia's lIa I ve ye e to rumple the collar c of rites rites' corr corn tt rt t afternoon suit suits suit suit- t s II ma 1 Is wha wh li hey Y y are arc doing at al suit suit-I the ings s 's theatre in London And getting awa away with it Getting Gelling I sway ay wi h 1 p 11 o to the tho m tn nt of or mc re applause I among h no were louder than those of or your corre corre- I f I LACIC J. lEI There are only two things lack lack- lackIng lackIng I Ing In this production of oC the old I in modern clothes the ther the At that r I dlo and telephone b the time Hamlet Hamlot has paced up I and nd down in dinner clothes doing li s soliloquy on to be or not be In jn a a. room where fashionably dressed courtiers have ha Just been playing bridge you wouldn't at ata I n a bo ho surprised to 10 hear tho the tele tele- telephone phone ll i jingle and have h Hamlet n ing the receiver r remark la By j jIn In jn faith Us thou Horatio What I merry chance hath bath at put thee le on j jUh i Uh wire while hl heavens heaven's n stars Cf e n down radiance and I 01 I the night lies dark dark dark-a a plague en n all these centrals The wench I iah cut me off or Hello there Ho lio Or tuning In on a a. mahogany and sliver silver radio set exclaim I I pray pra you peace Me Ie thinks Ive I've gotten Paris What hat noise is this w which makes the welkin ring con con- confounds confounds confounds founds the tho senses causing every hair upon mine head to stand erect like ilk quills upon the Ule fretful porcupine I May list you Me hinks Ir t Poincare P I broadcasting dast I speeches on the turbulent Riff But soft what sound ensues ensues- the gods me but a II bedtime story the rest Is silence NOT No o. o you not only wouldn't be surprised at these interpolations out you jou OU probably be hor hor- horrified horrified at them either Hamlet in modern clothes is as ns much more real than titan Hamlet in doublet and hose hose as the street fight down on tho corner ts moro ts-moro ts more real than the I war of or 1812 1512 Hamlet at the Kings King's Why Way Wh Is In looks and actions actions In In everything e but bul Shakespearean speech a a. I modern youth a a. modern young prince e tortured by ft 11 scandal in inI I 1 his hi own family and goaded beyond 3 endurance by the murder of or his hh II father He lie dresses es like a a awell well bred college ge man and he lie Ms Is is sur stir surrounded surrounded rounded by well bred well dressed dress dress- dressed I ed cd gentlemen He lie smokes cis-areta cis lIe He s ha-s a silk sll handkerchief Just showing above his breast pocket He lie hitches up the knees or of his trousers when ho he sits down n And after the tragic error when he has killed I he he does loes It ii not with a revolver but with a i sword snatched from a II suit stilt of or armor armor he he comes before the king with his collar awry his dinner coat off and the braces of or which Britons arE so enamoured show- show showIng showIng showing Ing shamelessly over o his Ills dinner shirt Hamlet in short short hamlet Hamlet In Jn modern dress is dress is Hamlet alive all x IX IN SHOUT SKIRTS SI Queen Gertrude too loo is la alive for almost tine the first time in his his- tory She has dark shingled hair hall halland and she wears smart Purls Paris gowns of or silk and georgette Her skirts are fashionably short and her stockings are flesh There could well are real queens who the address of or Gertrudes Gertrude's and who might redressed re rc- redressed I dressed look 1001 just as queenly as this dowager ot of Denmark The king kins smokes too and after the play wherein Hamlet catches the conscience of or orthe the king his majesty takes a good stiff whisky wh le and soda soda nor nor nordo nordo do you blame him Ophelia Oh lIa is a nice young oun girl brought up In ht tho the atmosphere atmo phere of ofa o ofa a smart stuart little court and an dressed In pretty prett crepe de chines She dances a bit of or two stop during the mad scene which docs does not make the tragedy less poignant because by b that time you OU are ac ac- accustomed accustomed l to age old ag that f ire are all the l more e stirring because the hearts a the they I break beat be beneath be- be neath French lingerie or soft sort sports shirts Instead of or beneath jeweled stomachers and velvet vel jerkins Nor A BIT n BORED And in din din- dinter ter ner clothes with tho the ribbon of or orsome some ome royal order across his shirt shirtfront shirtfront front rent in e eye eye- e- e lasses patent leather shoes sho's and nd starched cuffs the cuffs the captious old courtier Is human it at t last last and and not a bore bor Usually vc we have havo yawned when talked last evening we laughed I Ls as heartily heathy as Shakespeare in- in Intended ended tended Ev the grave diggers usual diggers usual usual- ly y such awful washouts washouts gain gain life liCe md and personality persona lit from being garb- garb garbe I e md in work clothes and battle batlle red Ted tats hats As M for or the sailor who hand- hand fd d Horatio tho the letter lette informing Mm lim that hat Hamlet had been Cal Cal- captured by a a pirate ship well ship well hat burly burb roustabout in the sort jf or clothes clothes that modern sailors really rally wear weal made tho incident so interesting that we realize we had always l a s 's slept through It be be- be fore rore VITAL rIL A long howl I of or laughter went vent up when Sir Sir Barry Darry Jackson an An- announced Announced announced that he would have Hamlet tailored In Regent street instead or of where the princes of or Shakespeare's day da got their out out- outfits fits A louder laugh went up liP when Sir Barry explained d that he didn't mean to he be funny In In- Incredible Incredible Incredible credible as It must seem sm to anyone any any- anyone one ono who hasn't seen the piece Sir Barry Darry Is right Hamlet in modern clothes Is a 0 more vital more moro human young oung man than you'd ever er have haio e thought possible It is partly due this Impression to the remarkable acting of or young Colin Keith Johnston Kelih Johnston But DUl it la tl partly due I e to o seeing the t unhappy h I prince r as a modern 1 young ij man whose and problems lire are I here with us now Instead of or far off things settled set lied and done with I Ilon long lon ago In the days of or brocade broca e I and rapiers The reality reality- rE of this I production is due likewise to something else It It Is due to the I fact tact that the actors talk tall their lines Instead of or declaiming them After Arter the first few minutes you ou feel no Incongruity about a Ham Ham- Hamlet Hamlet let In plus fours foulS outs out's saying Git Gt rt thee lhee to a nunnery 1 go The j reason this t s difference rr cegO between suits and speech doesn't rise ris up up and strike you Is because Hamlet I II It talks I as as one n human I being to I S 'S another t not no nos as s a stage star s to an audience In modern clothes has u n British conservatism tam to Its foundations foundations and and made of or a and what s smore smore dying pla play a superb more mor an sin interesting modern tr 1 r gedy |