Full casting has been announced for the London premiere of Hamlet Hail to the Thief, which runs at the Barbican Theatre from 31 October 2026 to 23 January 2027.
The acclaimed production, presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Factory International, returns following its celebrated world premiere at Aviva Studios in Manchester. The show combines Shakespeare’s Hamlet with Radiohead’s seminal 2003 album Hail to the Thief, reworked by Thom Yorke and performed live on stage by a cast of actors and musicians.
Samuel Blenkin will reprise his role as Hamlet, alongside Ami Tredrea as Ophelia, Paul Hilton as Claudius/Ghost, Claudia Harrison as Gertrude, Alby Baldwin as Horatio, Brandon Grace as Laertes and Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern.
Returning cast members also include Romaya Weaver and Marienella Phillips, while newly announced performers joining the production are Nicolas Tennant as Polonius, Merryl Ansah as Gravedigger and understudy Gertrude, Miles Barrow as Rosencrantz and understudy Hamlet, Halim Diwani making his professional stage debut, and Gavin James as understudy Claudius and Polonius.
The original band will also return, featuring Ed Begley, Tom Brady, Jenny Clifford, Joe Downard, Shane Forbes, Meg Hill, Tom Knowles and Adam Martin. They will be joined by cover singers Emilio Moreno Arias and Josephina Ortiz Lewis.
Created by Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett with music by Radiohead and orchestrations by Thom Yorke, the production blends theatre, music and movement in a fast-paced retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
Set in a world of political unrest and corruption, the production sees Shakespeare’s text illuminated by Radiohead’s music, with Yorke’s reimagined arrangements performed live throughout the show.
The production is directed by Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones, with choreography by Jess Williams, sound design by Gareth Fry, projection design by Will Duke, lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun and costume design by Lisa Duncan.
Hamlet Hail to the Thief is produced by ATC Music Group, Vivek J. Tiwary for TEG+ and Nate Koch, and continues the longstanding partnership between the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Barbican.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
