Hamnet at the RSC – First-look photos

Photos are in for the RSC’s forthcoming adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet.

This new play is based on the best-selling novel by Maggie O’Farrell, and adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi, Red Velvet, Hymn).

Hamnet plays at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 1 April to Saturday 17 June. The show will also transfer to London’s Garrick Theatre this autumn, from 30 September 2023 to 6 January 2024.

Hamnet pulls back the curtain on the story of William Shakespeare, the greatest writer in the English language, and the woman who was the constant presence and purpose of his life.

Madeleine Mantock stars as Agnes Hathaway in the play, making her RSC debut. Madeleine made her West End stage debut in 2021 playing Elvira in Richard Eyre’s production of Blithe Spirit at the Harold Pinter Theatre. For TV, Madeleine recently played Macy Vaughn in CBS studios series Charmed, and Miss Clara in the BBC’s The Long Song. Other TV credits include The Tomorrow People (Warner Brothers), Age Before Beauty (BBC) and Into the Badlands (AMC). Madeleine’s film credits include Breaking Brooklyn(Montage Films), The Truth Commissioner (BBC Films) and Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Brothers).

Tom Varey plays William Shakespeare, also making his RSC debut, and Peter Wight returns to the RSC for the first time since 1997 to play John/Will Kempe.

The company of Hamnet also includes: Sarah Belcher (Joan), Will Brown (Burbage/Father John), Haydn Burke(Off-stage Understudy), Ajani Cabey (Hamnet/Thomas Day) Faye Campbell (Off-stage Understudy),Frankie Hastings (Eliza), Karl Haynes (Ned), Alex Jarrett (Judith), Hannah McPake (Jude), Rose Riley (Tilly/Caterina), Elizabeth Rider (Mary), Harmony Rose-Bremner (Susanna) and Obioma Ugoala (Bartholomew).

Madeleine Mantock is set to star in the West End transfer of the play at the Garrick Theatre, with the other cast to be confirmed.

Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of Hamnet has sold over a 1.5 million copies worldwide and was named Waterstones Book of the Year and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2020. O’Farrell also won the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction – the UK’s most prestigious annual book award celebrating and honouring fiction written by women.

Directed by Erica Whyman, the play features Set and Costume Design by Tom Piper, Lighting by Prema Mehta, Sound by Xana, Music by Oğuz Kaplangi, Casting by Amy Ball CDG and Movement by Ayse Tashkiran.

Hamnet is produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Neal Street Productions, in association with Hera Pictures.

Book tickets to Hamnet at the Garrick Theatre in London