IT WAS a sell out crowd for the Bradfordian's opening night of their summer production Hamlet on Wednesday to the delight of over 100 literary enthusiasts in the audience.

The 14th century Tithe Barn in Bradford on Avon formed as the perfect backdrop for the Tudor-based drama which really added a ghostly atmosphere to the performance.

The story, one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, follows the young Prince Hamlet who is tortured by the restless ghost of his murdered father, the King of Denmark.

The plot then follows his quest to seek his father's killer but in doing so, his intentions are mistakenly portrayed as madness.

With his uncle now in succession of the throne and married to the widowed queen Gertrude, Hamlet tussles back and forth with his visions of his father and eventually seeks to confirm the murderous wrongdoing of his uncle.

The King, meanwhile, has plotted to kill Hamlet in a fencing match with a poisoned sword. But in a cruel twist of fate, Hamlet's mother drinks from a poisoned cup, intended for her son, and dies. Hamlet, wounded by the poisoned sword, kills the King before he, too, dies.

For me, having never seen or read Hamlet I didn't know what to expect from the play, but I've come to the conclusion that it was not my cup of tea.

It was not the lack of performance but rather the story which included a near three and a half hour running time.

Marc Bessant, who took on the demanding role of Hamlet, was, however, the star of the show. He was able to take the audience through the twisted story of Hamlet's mind and everyone hung onto his every word.

If there were a theatre critic in the audience then his captivating performance would have no doubt caught their eye and he truly does deserve a high accolade for the way he transformed the character right before our eyes.

Despite my personal disappointment, the sell-out performance night after night shows that once again, the Bradfordian's have pulled off a mindfully crafted show that ties in perfectly with the setting.

TANYA YILMAZ