A Midwinter's Tale

To be or not to be? To act or not to act? They are the same question to Joe, a struggling (read: jobless) actor whose every sinew and synapse cries out to perform -- and to soften the blow of not landing a part in a mega budget sci-fi movie. So in the stalwart (read: desperate) tradition of actors everywhere, Joe vows to put on a show, a special (read: even more desperate) version of the greatest play in the English tongue. Writer/director Kenneth Branagh serves up a Hamlet on wry with this salute to dyed-in-the-wool and often wooly-brained thespians. Michael Maloney plays Joe, maxing out his credit cards and wits to realize a dream. Does he succeed? With Richard Briers, Joan Collins, Nicholas Farrell, Absolutely Fabulous alumna Jennifer Saunders and Julia Sawalha and more joining Maloney, one thing is certain: the show must go on.

• comedy