Sir Derek
Jacobi
To be, or not to be: that is the question
Arsalan Sattari-Hicks (StageBlock, 2023)
Medium: Long form video, code, computer, HD speakers, UHD 4K display, sensors.
Unique Performance & Living Portrait
Guide Price on Request
1/1 Artwork | Artist's Frame from 32"
Guide Price on Request
From a varying edition of 10 | Living Portrait | Artist's Frame from 27"
The Sitter
A founding member of the National Theatre and a protégé of Olivier, Sir Derek Jacobi is a grandmaster of the classical stage. His career is a testament to the power of the spoken word, earning him two Olivier Awards, a Tony for Much Ado About Nothing, and a BAFTA for his legendary performance in I, Claudius. From the epic scope of Gladiator and The King’s Speech to his defining Hamlet, he is an actor’s actor, revered for a technique that makes the most complex verse sound like spontaneous thought.
The Performance
Sir Derek is argubly one of our most famous Hamlets, having performed the role over 500 times in his expansive career. In “To be or not to be,” Jacobi turns the familiar into something startlingly intimate. His Hamlet is fragile but resolute. He offers reflection over performance. Every line feels freshly unearthed, a conversation with the self that invites us to listen more closely..
The Sitting
November 2022 - London, UK
Exhibition History
1 November 2024 - 31 January 2025, The Royal Exchange, London.
