Andrew Scott stars as the late British actor Ian Charleson in Elsinore, a film depicting the final year of Charleson's life as he performed in Hamlet at the National Theatre. Charleson, best known for his role in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, died of AIDS-related causes in 1990 at age 40.
Director Simon Stone's film shows Charleson stepping into the title role after actor Daniel Day-Lewis left the 1989 production. Charleson performed 24 shows in the demanding role while managing his HIV diagnosis, which he kept confidential from most of the theater community. The screenplay, written by Stephen Beresford, depicts both Charleson's performances as Hamlet and his interactions with National Theatre personnel, fellow actors and medical professionals.
The film captures London during the height of the AIDS crisis. It features scenes at an HIV clinic where patients encounter friends and acquaintances at various stages of illness, and includes appearances by figures from London's queer cultural scene, including filmmaker Derek Jarman. Cast members include Olivia Colman as a pioneering HIV and AIDS treatment doctor, Billie Piper as a casting director and friend of Charleson, and Johnny Flynn as the director who cast him in Hamlet.
