National Theatre Live broadcasts Hamlet in HD at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts December 9 | Press Releases

"To see Kinnear and Higgins in all their glory, get thee to a cinema." - TimeOut New York

Image: Hamlet The National Theatre Live will transmit Nicholas Hytner's highly acclaimed production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" live in high-definition at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts, Thursday, Dec. 9 at 2:00 p.m. There will be an encore broadcast at 7:00 p.m. the same evening. Tickets for both events are $22 general, $20 seniors and $15 for children and students. The National Theatre Live is an Arts & Minds presentation.

When London's National Theatre opened Artistic Director Hytner's very modern production of "Hamlet" starring Rory Kinnear, the British press gave it glowing and enthusiastic reviews. The Independent called it "... a chilling production that demands to be seen." Reviewers applauded Kinnear's intelligent and very real performance likening it to Everyman and they were equally impressed with Clare Higgins' Gertrude played as a boozy guilt-ridden mother sans queenly glamour. The Daily Telegraph headline deemed it "Thrilling Hamlet in a hoodie," while The London Times' five-star review declared: "And it is tremendous. Rory Kinnear's performance was much awaited, and is indeed superb in its resonance, intelligence and quarrying of the all-too-familiar lines ... But it is the production as a whole that wins the stars...In its clarity, relevance, courage and detail it holds you to the story, political as well as personal, for nearly four hours without weariness or disengagement ... This Hamlet is for now."

Tickets are available at fairfield.edu/quick or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. Special offers and discounts are available through the Quick Center's e-mail list. Join, by contacting boxoffice@quickcenter.com . And become a fan of the Quick Center for the Arts on Facebook! Keep up-to-date with the latest performance news, plus special offers and discounts! Find the Quick Center at www.facebook.com/FairfieldQuickCenter.

National Theatre Live is distributed internationally (ex-UK) by New York-based BY Experience: www.byexperience.net . Global sponsor for National Theatre Live is Aviva, an innovative insurance company with a global presence.

Directions: Fairfield University is located off I-95, exit 22 at 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Access to the Quick Center for the Arts is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Special note: From Oct. 4, 2010 through June 30, 2012, the southern end of North Benson Road (Rt. 135) will be closed to traffic on nights and weekends. Round Hill Road intersects with Barlow and provides access to the Quick Center for the Arts.