The production will run at the Barbican Theatre from the 31st October until the 23rd January 2027.
The full cast and band have been announced for the upcoming London premiere of Hamlet Hail to the Thief, which had its world premiere at Aviva Studios home of Factory International and the Royal Shakespeare Company last year.
As previously announced Samuel Blenkin (Alien: Earth, FX) will reprise his role as Hamlet, alongside Ami Tredrea (The Shitheads, Royal Court) as Ophelia, Paul Hilton (Mass, Donmar Warehouse) as Claudius/ Ghost, Claudia Harrison (The Line of Beauty, Almeida) as Gertrude, Alby Baldwin (The Unbelievers, Royal Court) as Horatio, Brandon Grace (Summerfolk, National Theatre) as Laertes, Felipe Pacheco (The Hunger Games, Troubadour Theatre) as Guildenstern, Romaya Weaver (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Globe Theatre) as Barnarda/ Player Queen / understudy Ophelia, and Marienella Phillips (Love’s Labour’s Lost, RSC) as understudy Rosencrantz, Barnarda/ Player Queen and Gravedigger.
Meanwhile, newly announced and completing the cast are: Nicolas Tennant (Mother Courage and Her Children, Globe Theatre) as Polonius, Merryl Ansah (The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre) as Gravedigger/ understudy Gertrude, Miles Barrow (Game of Thrones, RSC) as Rosencrantz/ understudy Hamlet, Halim Diwani (making his professional stage debut) as understudy Laertes, Horatio, and Guildenstern and Gavin James (Rosie, Adelphi Theatre) as understudy Claudius and Polonius.
In addition, the full original band will return to the production including Ed Begley (Vocals), Tom Brady (Music Supervisor, Music Director and Keys 2), Jenny Clifford (Guitars), Joe Downard (Bass Guitar), Shane Forbes (Drums), Meg Hill (Vocals), Tom Knowles (Associate Music Supervisor and Keys 1) and Adam Martin (Guitars). They will be joined by two additional cover singers Emilio Moreno Arias and Josephina Ortiz Lewis.
Elsinore has a new ruler, and the air bites. ‘Hamlet Hail to the Thief’ centres on Hamlet and Ophelia’s awakening to the lies and corruption infecting their war-like state. In this witching hour, when ghosts reveal wild and hurling truths, hectic pulses through the blood of its citizens. When minds and hearts are overthrown, music speaks loudly.
The show is a collaboration between Thom Yorke, Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett offering a new version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, combined with Radiohead’s celebrated
album Hail to the Thief re-worked by Yorke and performed live by a cast of musicians
and actors.
Directed by Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones, the creative team also includes: Scenography by AMP featuring Sadra Tehrani, Arrangements by Justin Levine, 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 for the RSC, Dramaturg and Textual Consultant Ayanna Thompson and Sound Manipulator Jack Moulton.
To book tickets visit: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/hamlet-hail-to-the-thief