World Premiere HAMLET HAIL TO THE THIEF - Spring 2025

Pictured Steven Hoggett, Christine  Jones and Thom Yorke, The creators of Hamlet Hail to the Thief

World Premiere spring 2025

Photograph(s) courtesy of the RSC

The reworking of original music from the band Radiohead's celebrated album Hail to the Thief (2003) has resulted in a new stage adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. A collaboration between musician, composer and front man Thom Yorke; with co-directors Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones (the creators) - Hamlet Hail to the Thief will have its world premiere at Factory International, Manchester from 27 April - 18 May 2025, afterwhich transferring to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford up Avon from 4 - 28 June 2025.

Yorke is behind the orchestration of Shakespeare's words; the music will be performed onstage by musicians and actors:

“This is an interesting and intimidating challenge! Adapting the original music of Hail to The Thief  for live performance with the actors on stage to tell this story that is forever being told, using its familiarity and sounds, pulling them into and out of context, seeing what chimes with the underlying grief and paranoia of Hamlet, using the music as a ‘presence’ in the room, watching how it collides with the action and the text. Ghosting one against the other.” artist, Thom Yorke (2024)

Besides the creators there is a pooling of creative and technical talent attached to this theatre production, including Executive Director, Andrew Leveson at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey Co-Artistic Directors. John McGrath, Artistic Director & Chief Executive, Factory International. Producers: ATC Experience, Nate Koch and Vivek J. Tiwary. Music arrangements by Justin Levine; set design by AMP Collective featuring Sadra Tehrani; sound design by Gareth Fry; music supervision by Tom Brady; video design by Will Duke; light design by Jessica Hung Han Yun, costume design by Lisa Duncan, Text Consultancy and Dramaturgy from Ayanna Thompson and casting by Charlotte Sutton CDG (casting to be announced):

“To communicate this expansive narrative, we have found it illuminating and inspiring to look to movement, text, lighting, sound and music to achieve the complexities of the storytelling. We hope that bringing such elements into play means that anyone seeing their first ever Shakespeare will find a variety of 'ways in' to enjoy and appreciate what a spectacular play this is. We are thrilled to have found two venues with Aviva Studios, home of Factory International and Royal Shakespeare Company that complement each other so well. Both are at the very forefront of asking questions about what theatre can be and are two perfect homes for this show.” Co Director, Steven Hoggett (2024)

Tickets on public sale from the venues from 02 October 2024.

https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/hamlet-hail-to-the-thief/

Box office www.rsc.org.uk Tel 01789 331111

Audiences will wait to spring/summer season 2025 with much interest, excitement and anticipation.

References

RSC press release and photographic images Shakespeare's Great Tragedy and Radiohead's Seminal Album Collide in Hamlet Hail to the Thief (26 SEPT 2024)