Hamlet Hail to the Thief: Casting revealed for bold new Shakespeare-Radiohead fusion

A stellar cast has been unveiled for Hamlet Hail to the Thief, a bold new production blending Shakespeare’s tragedy with the music of Radiohead.

The production, co-produced by Factory International, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), and ATC Experience, will premiere at Aviva Studios, Manchester, before transferring to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Leading the cast is Samuel Blenkin (Black Mirror, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) as Hamlet, with Ami Tredrea (The Crucible, National Theatre) as Ophelia. Paul Hilton (An Enemy of the People, The Crown) takes on the dual role of Claudius and the Ghost, while Claudia Harrison (The Crown) plays Gertrude.

The supporting cast includes Annabel Baldwin as Horatio, Brandon Grace as Laertes, James Cooney as Rosencrantz, Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern, Tom Peters as Polonius, and Romaya Weaver as the Gravedigger. Daniel Davids, Kieran Garland, and Marienella Phillips join as Off-Stage Swings.

Directed by Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett, with orchestrations by Thom Yorke, this adaptation reimagines Shakespeare’s text through the lens of Hail to the Thief, Radiohead’s politically charged 2003 album. The music, personally reworked by Yorke, will be performed live by a cast of actors and musicians.

Performances run from 27 April to 18 May 2025 at Manchester’s Aviva Studios, before moving to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 4 June to 28 June 2025. Press nights are scheduled for 7 May in Manchester and 12 June in Stratford.

More about tickets to Hamlet Hail to the Thief – RSC

Hamlet Hail to the Thief

Barbican Theatre, London

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Main photo: First line L-R: Annabel Baldwin, Samuel Blenkin, James Cooney, Daniel Davids, Kieran Garland, and Brandon Grace. Second line L-R: Claudia Harrison, Paul Hilton, Felipe Pacheco, Tom Peters, Marienella Phillips, Ami Tredrea and Romaya Weaver