The first UK tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Neal Street’s acclaimed production of Hamnet has been announced, with performances set to begin at Lowry in Salford on 25 September 2027.
Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel and adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti, the production previously broke box office records during its premiere at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon before transferring to the West End.
Directed by former RSC Deputy and Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman, Hamnet tells the story of Agnes Hathaway and William Shakespeare, exploring love, family, grief and the events surrounding the death of their son, Hamnet.
Following its opening in Salford, the production will tour to Newcastle, Truro, Norwich, Nottingham, Canterbury, Birmingham, Glasgow and Bath before a Christmas break. The tour will resume in January 2028 with dates in Belfast, York, Wimbledon and Southampton, with further venues to be announced.
Maggie O’Farrell said: “It’s wonderful to know that the RSC/Neal Street production of Hamnet is embarking on a tour of the UK. The production goes from strength to strength and it’s lovely that more people will get to see it.”
Lolita Chakrabarti said: “I am so thrilled that Hamnet is returning to the stage here in Britain. I was very aware of the enormous responsibility of making these historical figures relatable and to make them live again. William Shakespeare’s reach is beyond compare and everyone without exception has some knowledge of his life, his works, his stories and his language. To try and humanise a man of such reach is a humbling thing. But in the end, this is a story about family – an eleven year old boy and the people around him. It has been an absolute privilege to imagine Shakespeare himself, his wife, mother, father, sister, daughters and his only son. I am very excited to bring this tale of love, loss and rebirth to so many cities in the UK.”
Erica Whyman said: “I am thrilled that we will be able to tell this beautiful and moving story on stages across the UK. Lolita’s adaptation is deft, funny, and wonderfully accessible and I always enjoy being in a rehearsal room with her words and the world of Hamnet. It is a love story with a remarkable woman and her family at its heart, but it is also a love letter to the theatre, to Shakespeare and the miraculous capacity of the human imagination. I have spent my career advocating for UK touring so I’m especially pleased to be working with Fiery Angel and Neal Street so that we can share this production with so many new audiences all over the country.”
RSC Co-Artistic Directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey said: “We are delighted that Hamnet will be embarking on its first ever tour of the UK next year, having entranced audiences in both the US, the West End and having played to sell-out audiences in Stratford during its premiere in the Swan Theatre in 2023. It’s wonderful to know that even more people will have the opportunity to experience Lolita Chakrabarti’s beautiful adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, which offers a compelling new perspective on Shakespeare through the eyes of Agnes Hathaway and their children. We can’t wait to share this intimate and moving story with audiences across the UK in 2027.”
Full casting and creative team details will be announced in due course.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
