Praise for Hamlet Globe to Globe A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year 2017
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
"A compulsively readable, intensely personal chronicle of performances in places as various as Djibouti and Gdansk, Taipei and Bogota . . . [A] wildly ambitious project."--New York Times Book Review
"You might think of Dromgoole's new book, Hamlet Globe to Globe, as the Shakespearean equivalent of Bourdain's TV series, Parts Unknown. Both offer us irresistible samples of what Dromgoole calls 'good eating and gargantuan drinking' with off-kilter characters in out-of-our-way places . . . [Dromgoole's] aesthetic principle, or unprincipled aesthetic, makes him a natural tour guide for global Shakespeare . . . A comic epic."--Washington Post
"In this thoughtful and often eloquent account of that world-busting tour, Dromgoole reminds us that Hamlet is intensely political as well as deeply psychological, a study of power and a disturber of the status quo . . . Dromgoole, an excellent dramaturge, draws the curtains aside to reveal the play's lore and history."--Dallas News
"Irresistable . . . Dromgoole . . . delves into the play's history, grapples with its themes, and offers a passionate case for its enduring relevance."--Christian Science Monitor
"Funny, moving, insightful, and sometimes subversive . . . As well as a loving testament to the enduring ability of Shakespeare's play to connect in myriad ways across countries and cultures, Hamlet: Globe to Globe also succeeds as a deeply felt tribute to travel and the touring life . . . A testament to the value of all such ambitious collaborative ventures."--Pop Matters
"[Dromgoole's] book is a joy to read, not just because he is so passionate about his subject, but also because that passion manifests itself so eloquently. There are passages in the book that I stopped to read over a second time because they contained such splendid bursts of language."--Clyde Fitch Report
"An amazing journey . . . For all lovers of theatre, Shakespeare, and those interested in how other cultures interpret an icon of Western literature . . . A must-read."--Library Journal (starred review)
"[A] thoroughly enjoyable and charming story . . . Besides detailing the two-year tour itself, it's a story of the play, its themes and language, famous past players, and how it has been performed and received over the years . . . Sly, witty, and delightful--a glorious Shakespearean romp."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"With candor, humor, and erudition, English theater director Dromgoole tells [an] incredible story . . . Dromgoole is wise and witty; thoughtful, self-assured, even cocky . . . But he is never dull. His mission was to bring Hamlet to the world to show that Hamlet is the world, and he succeeded admirably. A wide readership, not just Shakespeare buffs and scholars, can enjoy this book."--Publishers Weekly
"In Dromgoole's breakneck journey from a retractable-roof theater in Poland to a crammed cream-and-gold palace in Peru to a sweltering, bat-infested auditorium in Cambodia, the narrative covers an astonishing swath of world-girdling geography . . . No chronicle ever gave more compelling meaning to Shakespeare's conviction that 'all the world's a stage.'"--Booklist
"Dromgoole's passion for the play and its power to transcend borders and inform our understanding of human foibles shine through as he pays tribute to the heroic efforts of the players who were in it for the long haul."--Traveller Magazine
"An enthralling account."--Bookseller (UK)
"[A] richly entertaining book . . . Dromgoole is trading in a kind of intellectual lock-in . . . in which he tells us good stories while feeding us constantly with his deep love for and knowledge of Hamlet . . . His love of language is contagious . . . There is no one more sparklingly opinionated on theatre than Dromgoole . . . Dazzles."--Times (UK)
"A delightfully idiosyncratic account of the Globe's vagabond mission to perform Hamlet in every country in the world . . . The joy of the book is Dromgoole's gusto."--Telegraph (UK)
"There's a real sense of the camaraderie and sheer fun of assembling a company and, quite literally, putting the show on wherever they can . . . The universal themes explored in the play take on a new and thrilling resonance, as the actors learn as much from their audiences as vice versa. By the end of the book, Dromgoole has, indeed, 'held the mirror up to nature, ' and the stories he has discovered are truly compelling and sometimes vital ones."--Observer (UK)
"An absorbing account . . . [Dromgoole] clearly knows Hamlet inside-out, and relishes the power and beauty of its language . . . Well-written and thought-provoking . . . Recommended."--Irish Independent
"The most compelling part of this story (recounted in gripping detail in this book) isn't the hardships, but the way the play itself travels. You'd be forgiven for thinking a wordy 16th-century play about a Danish prince may not speak to a desert-dwelling Sudanese village, or that the plight of Ophelia wouldn't move a contemporary Costa Rican. But it did, proving, as Dromgoole had hoped, that this powerful tragedy not only has the ability to transcend time but to cross borders as well."--National Geographic Traveller (UK)
"If there were ever any doubt that Hamlet is the greatest of all Shakespeare plays--even perhaps the greatest play ever written--then Dominic Dromgoole's newest book puts any discussion to rest . . . A grand undertaking . . . Along the way we're privy to a host of amusing stories and biographical anecdotes, and Dromgoole's wit and English sarcasm turn his narrative into a fun read. What makes it truly worthwhile, however, is his inclusion in each chapter of a meditation on Hamlet itself."--Weekly Standard
"The tireless Dromgoole goes on a journey that would kill most of us, and connects our greatest poet to every corner of the human experience. Utterly extraordinary."--Emma Thompson
"This is an amazing story about a bold and eye-popping journey. I loved it. Dominic Dromgoole writes about Shakespeare and touring the globe the way he ran the Globe--with passion, insight, relish and irresistible humour."--Nicholas Hytner, former Artistic Director of London's National Theatre
"Dominic Dromgoole's recounting of the Globe Theatre's exhausting global tour of Hamlet is exhilarating. The playing company's intrepid journey around the world--performing Hamlet's own troubled journey--succeeds in making the familiar unfamiliar and enables in turn a deeply illuminating journey into the play itself."--Professor James Shapiro, author of 1599 and 1606
"This deeply humane, consistently enthralling account of a theatrical odyssey encompasses travelogue and literary criticism, theatre history and introspective narrative, political commentary and philosophical reflection with beguiling readability."--Sir Stanley Wells, editor of The Oxford Shakespeare and author of Shakespeare & Co.
