The mostly-overlapping casts for both productions were superb. The gentleman who played Navarre/Laertes was particularly terrific.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about how David played this very naturally - Hamlet was a perpetual student before all this started going down, for heaven's sake, not some thug or politician - and none of his actions seem studied or call on another play for their substance (unlike the way a lot of Hamlets play the big Hamlet-Gertrude scene as though it were a scene from Oedipus).

This was also a very strong Gertrude, a decision I loved in contrast to the many productions where she's played as even more addled than Polonius.

Flat out dirtiest? Yes, the 'cunt... try' and air-humping in Ophelia's direction were easily as bawdy as the churning scene in LLL.

Given that they'll have to re-stage how certain aspects of the entrances and exits are handled in their new digs, I suspect the Novello's format may be easier to record for posterity. It'd be a real shame if LLL doesn't get recorded as well, but at least it'll always be in the RSC archives.

Moth (Zoe Thorne), by the by, has also been in Who... first as the Gelth voice, and then as one of the Toclafane. Heh.