This RSC production of Hamlet is – incredibly – the first production I’ve seen with a male actor playing the lead. (My first experience of Shakespeare’s tragedy was the Royal Exchange version starring Maxine Peake.)

I studied it at university, but I feel like one of the reasons I haven’t seen it much is because – frankly – I’m not a fan. It’s very long, and Hamlet is one of the most annoying heroes in literature. But this touring production, which I saw at The Lowry, definitely helped to change my view.

For starters, Paapa Essiedu is excellent, bringing a youthful energy to the lead role. He whinges at Claudius and Gertrude like a child, whilst moving about the stage like a teenager – his graffitied white suit and messy paintings that decorate the set add to this impression. And somehow, he makes the play’s most famous monologue sound new…