David Tennant plays the titular Danish prince in the Royal Shakespeare Company's latest production of Hamlet. (Ellie Kurttz/Royal Shakespeare Company/Associated Press)

Shakespeare's hometown is being invaded by frenzied fans eager to take in a modern-dress production of Hamlet starring Doctor Who's David Tennant and Patrick Stewart, best known for his roles in TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films.

The Royal Shakespeare Company's Hamlet, featuring the two sci-fi stars, has already sold out its current run in the town of Stratford-Upon-Avon, with tickets now being traded online for hundreds of dollars.

The usual serenity of the Bard's birthplace has been disrupted by screaming, autograph-seeking fans who thronged the stage door after preview performances.

Following Tuesday night's official premiere, however, British critics offered mixed reviews for Tennant's portrayal of the melancholy Danish prince, despite the Scottish actor's theatre background.

Reviews alternately hailed Tennant as an "active, athletic, immensely engaging Hamlet" (The Guardian) or "spirited but unripe" and the show "disappointing" (Daily Express).

Unsurprisingly, Stewart won raves for his chilling portrayal of Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, with the Daily Mail saying his "deliciously subtle" performance upstaged Tennant as Hamlet.

Stewart, a Shakespearean veteran, was widely celebrated in New York and earned a Tony nomination earlier this year for his turn on Broadway as Macbeth (in a production born in Britain).

The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Hamlet continues at Stratford's Courtyard Theatre until Nov. 15 before moving to London's Novello Theatre from Dec. 3 to Jan. 10.

With files from the Associated Press