• Venue Barbican Theatre, London
  • Performance dates 31 October 2026 - 23 January 2027
  • Running time 1 hour 40 minutes (without interval)
  • Age guidelines 14+

Book tickest now for Hamlet Hail to the Thief at the Barbican Theatre, blends Shakespeare’s great tragedy Hamlet and Radiohead’s seminal album Hail to the Thief in a reimagined new adaptation.

Hamlet Hail to the Thief in London

Following sold-out runs at Aviva Studios and the Royal Shakespeare Company, this new reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet comes to the Barbican Theatre for its London premiere this autumn.

This thrilling new adaptation sees Shakespeare’s Hamlet illuminated by Radiohead’s celebrated album Hail to the Thief, reworked by Thom Yorke into a deconstructed score and performed live by a cast of musicians and actors.

Fusing theatre, music and movement, this frenetic new show sees Elsinore become a new kind of surveillance state, distilling Shakespeare’s great tragedy to its dark and glittering emotional core.

Radiohead meets Shakespeare

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, who co-creates the project alongside award-winning directors Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones, radically reworks music from acclaimed album Hail to the Thief.

Originally released in 2003, the album was recorded in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the War on Terror, carrying themes of paranoia, fear and anxiety, This new imagining sits the music alongside Shakespeare’s story of a prince haunted by his father’s ghost and consumed by suspicion.

Book Hamlet Hail to the Thief tickets

Hamlet Hail to the Thief is gearing up to be one of the most talked-about reinventions of Hamlet in years, playing at the Barbican Theatre from 31 October 2026 to 23 January 2027. Book your tickets now so you don’t miss out.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet follows the Prince of Denmark, summoned home to find his father dead and his mother married to his uncle Claudius. When the ghost of the late king appears and demands revenge, Hamlet feigns madness while he searches for the truth. Betrayal, grief, love and violence follow as the court of Elsinore unravels.

This new version places the play in dialogue with Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief, an album shaped by the post-9/11 climate of surveillance, fear and political unease. With the songs reworked by Thom Yorke and performed live by a cast of musicians and actors, Hamlet’s spiralling paranoia and the corruption of the Danish court take on a contemporary, unsettling charge.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Tickets by Month
Oct 2026
Nov 2026
Dec 2026
Jan 2027

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Hamlet Hail to the Thief?

  • Samuel Blenkin as Hamlet
  • Ami Tredrea as Ophelia
  • Paul Hilton as Claudius/Ghost
  • Claudia Harrison as Gertrude
  • Alby Baldwin as Horatio
  • Brandon Grace as Laertes
  • Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern
  • Romaya Weaver as Barnarda/Player Queen/understudy Ophelia
  • Nicolas Tennant as Polonius
  • Merryl Ansah as Gravedigger/understudy Gertrude
  • Miles Barrow as Rosencrantz/understudy Hamlet

The company is completed by include Marienella Phillips (Rosencrantz, Barnarda/Player Queen and Gravedigger), Halim Diwani (Laertes, Horatio and Guildenstern) and Gavin James (Claudius and Polonius).

The band

The original band includes Ed Begley (vocals), Tom Brady (music supervisor, music director and keys 2), Jenny Clitford (guitars), Joe Downard (bass guitar), Shane Forbes (drums), Meg Hill (vocals), Tom Knowles (associate music supervisor and keys 1) and Adam Martin (guitars). They are joined by cover singers Emilio Moreno Arias and Josephina Ortiz Lewis.

Who are the creative team of Hamlet Hail to the Thief?

  • Adapted by Christine Jones with Steven Hoggett
  • Directed by Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones
  • Music by Radiohead
  • Orchestrations by Thom Yorke
  • Arrangements by Justin Levine
  • Scenography by AMP featuring Sadra Tehrani
  • Music Supervision by Tom Brady
  • Choreography by Jess Williams
  • Sound Design by Gareth Fry
  • Projection Design by Will Duke
  • Lighting Design by Jessica Hung Han Yun
  • Costume Design by Lisa Duncan
  • Casting Director Charlotte Sutton CDG for the RSC
  • Dramaturg and Textual Consultant Ayanna Thompson

Important Notes

Content warning: Please note this production contains strobe, flashing lights and haze, as well as depictions of violence, suicide and blood.

Access Performances
  • Captioned: Saturday 28 November 2026, 2.30pm
  • Audio Described: Saturday 12 December 2026, 2.30pm
  • Chilled: Saturday 16 January 2027, 2.30pm

Venue Information

Barbican Theatre , Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS

Nearest Tube or Train: Barbican (Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City)

Nearest Buses: (Beech Street) 76, 153; (City Road) 21, 43, 141, 205, 214, 271

Directions

Google Apple

Critics' reviews of Hamlet Hail to the Thief

★★★★★ "Thom Yorke masterminds a stunning collision of worlds" - Rolling Stone

★★★★★ "Unmissable drama" - Manchester Evening News

★★★★ "An urgent, frantic 100-minute work that’s part drama, part dance piece and part gig" - Evening Standard

★★★★ "Believe the hype: Yorke’s arrangements are tremendous" - The Guardian

★★★★ "Samuel Blenkin is Hamlet, and this is his play. A wide-eyed Shakesperean triple threat" - The Stage

★★★★ "An innovative take on a familiar play" - The Arts Desk

Also see: Hamlet Hail to the Thief Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

Hamlet Hail to the Thief is playing at the Barbican Theatre in London
The running time of Hamlet Hail to the Thief is 1 hour 40 minutes (without interval)
The age recommendations for Hamlet Hail to the Thief are: 14+
To buy official London Theatre tickets to Hamlet Hail to the Thief, click on the Get Tickets button at the top of this page. You will be able to access the booking calendar to check live ticket availability and prices and see any exclusive offers or discounts. You will be purchasing tickets from an authorised retailer and member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers.
Yes, Hamlet Hail to the Thief has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday

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