David Tennant yearns to return to Hamlet

London (ANI): Scottish actor David Tennant hopes to return to the stage production of Hamlet before it ends its London run on January 10.

The 37-year-old, who underwent an operation for a slipped disc on December 11, insists that he is desperate to return work. He said that it would be "great to get back" and that he would do his best. "But obviously I've got to do what I'm told. It's supposed to be a six-week recovery period but I seem to be doing quite well so we'll keep monitoring it," the BBC quoted him as saying.

The actor has heaps of praises for his understudy, Edward Bennett, who has been playing Hamlet since December 8. "If I could be on stage, I would be so. I'm very sorry if that's disappointed people. But we've got great understudies with Ed Bennett, whose playing Hamlet, and all the other guys who are understudying," he said. "I've been working with them all year, I know how good they are, so you won't be disappointed if you go and see the show with them, I promise," Tennant added.

In a statement, the Royal Shakespeare Company said that doctors were "pleased" with the star's progress and his recovery was "encouraging".

"We are not ruling out that he (Tennant) might be able to return to Hamlet during the last week of the run, although we cannot be more specific about the exact date of his possible return," it added.