Tickets go on general sale tomorrow (Saturday 20 March 2021) and priority sale today at 11am for the Theatre Royal’s inaugural Summer Season opening with Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The first major new production to be staged following lockdown, directed by Sean Mathias and starring Ian McKellen in an age-blind interpretation of the young Prince with integrated casting, will open at the Theatre Royal Windsor on 21 June 2021.
Produced by Bill Kenwright, Hamlet heralds Sean Mathias’ inaugural season at Theatre Royal Windsor and will be followed by Martin Sherman’s adaptation of Anton Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard, with McKellen as Firs the elderly manservant.
This will be one of the first major new productions to open to hopefully non-restricted seating since theatres went dark just over a year ago, in accordance with government guidelines to stem the spread of COVID-19.
The production actually went into rehearsal eight months ago but could not proceed when new restrictions were put in place due to the UK’s second wave of COVID-19. Rehearsals will start again next week, with strict measures remaining in place to ensure the safety of the company.
Sean Mathias said: “The return of British theatre from the long dark night of COVID 19 has rightly been one of our biggest cultural conversations of the last year. Now, as more rays of hope begin to appear, everyone in the industry is determined to help our precious artform explode back into life. We trust that by bringing together this exceptional ensemble to present two of the greatest plays of all time we will play our part in this revival, and on a personal note I can’t think of a more invigorating way to mark my first season as artistic director of the Theatre Royal Windsor Season.”
Ian McKellen said: “I’ve acted in both these masterpieces before – and seen them scores of times. They are in that select group of classic plays which bear, even demand, a regular look, even reappraisal, by actors, directors, producers – and audiences. How can Hamlet be played by an 80 year old? I hope theatre-starved audiences will want to find out!”
Bill Kenwright said: “Sean, Ian and I started this journey, during the first lockdown last summer. At that time it was not to be, but while we will continue to work in steadfast accordance with government and scientific guidelines, and the safety of all our priority, we are hugely optimistic that our rehearsals will lead us to a pretty historic opening on June 21st at 7:30pm.”
