Hamlet Hail To The Thief at Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford upon Avon - Review

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Wed 04 Jun 2025 - Sat 28 Jun 2025

Radiohead and Shakespeare may be creative geniuses in their own fields, but is it possible to bridge their arts and 400 years between them for a collaboration with any substance? I went to see the RSC production of Hamlet Hail To The Thief and find out if it makes for more than just an exciting headline.

The announcement that Radiohead's seminal 2003 album Hail To The Thief was being adapted by the band's singer-songwriter Thom Yorke to fit in with Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet was music to the ears of many fans. If anything, it would provide them with a fresh piece of work by the Grammy, Mercury Prize and BRIT awards winners.

Yet regular RSC theatre-goers may not have felt so assured. Especially as it comes after mixed views on quirky reworkings of Shakespeare's plays of late, including Hamlet set on a Titanic-like ship in February.



When I arrived at Stratford-upon-Avon's Royal Shakespeare Theatre for Hamlet Hail To The Thief , co-produced with Factory International, the stage was a nod to Radiohead's involvement.

Rock music is everywhere with a set that has a backdrop of huge speakers and guitar amplifiers that the cast sometimes stand on. It's all effortlessly cool with actors in long grey or black coats and loose suits that could be straight out of a music video.

RSC musicians - not Radiohead I need to add - are on clear view, encased in their own sound booths with two talented singers appearing at regular intervals, although Samuel Blenkin playing Hamlet and Ami Tredrea as Ophelia also sing.

When it comes to this pair, they are both sensational in highly stylised roles. Hamlet is somewhat of a moody indie boy but he's outshone by Tredrea, whether she's dancing, acting or singing as a feisty Ophelia, pictured below.



As soon as the music starts up, it feels electrifying and quickly gels into what's happening on stage. It's far shorter than the original Hamlet at just 1 hour 45 minutes with no interval, but maintains the essence of the story and key speeches.

Dance and music replace gaps in the text yet it manages to feel more atmospheric than usual. The movement is particularly well-crafted, from Hamlet and his uncle appearing to lock horns like bulls to the messiness and anger of grief.

Thom Yorke worked closely in the rehearsal room with RSC directors Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett every step of the way and it shows. He has mixed up the album and songs completely to correlate with the action and mood. There are recognisable tracks from 2+2=5 to Where I End And You Begin but music is often reorchestrated and has more context to what's happening in the play.



The tunes are often sensitive, always moody and even ragingly wild when it comes to the final scene.

What struck me was how the germ of a brilliant idea can still take fruit, even if abandoned for 20 years. It was back in 2004 that Jones, co-creator of this new pioneering RSC production, first noticed a link between the newly-released Radiohead album and Hamlet, which she was working on at the time.

Mentioning this to Yorke, that idea finally blossomed two decades later. In that time, Jones and co-director Steven Hoggett have gone on to be involved in cutting-edge stage productions and this feels like another.

Hoggett was involved with the sensory sensation and award-winning Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and together, they've worked on shows like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. But now Hamlet Hail To The Thief has eclipsed them all.

The emotion, optics and carefully-constructed sound of it alongside a well-edited script make it extra special. It adds a new dimension to Shakespeare, enhancing it in a respectful fashion.

Everything about Hamlet Hail To The Thief is remarkable. It's utterly superb and an electrifying experience that feels like a watershed moment in theatre. Who knew Radiohead and Shakespeare could combine to form the perfect duo.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars


Hamlet Hail To The Thief only continues at Stratford-upon-Avon's Royal Shakespeare Theatre until June 28.
Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes with no interval

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