First image revealed of Thom Yorke rehearsing Shakespeare adaptation ‘Hamlet Hail to the Thief
The first image has been shared of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke in rehearsals ahead of his adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which is called Hamlet Hail to the Thief, before it takes to the stage later this month for the first time.
For the project, Yorke teamed up with Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones, Tony and Olivier Award-winning directors. It features music from Radiohead’s sixth album, Hail to the Thief, which was recorded in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and captures the state of paranoia that ran rampant throughout the world at that moment.
Hoggett and Jones have adapted the production and directed Hamlet Hail to the Thief, while Yorke has provided music and helmed orchestrations.
In the production, Samuel Blenkin will play Hamlet, alongside Ami Tredrea as Ophelia, Paul Hilton as Claudius/ Ghost, Claudia Harrison as Gertrude, Alby Baldwin as Horatio, Brandon Grace as Laertes, James Cooney as Rosencrantz, Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern, Tom Peters as Polonius and Romaya Weaver as Gravedigger.
The cast is completed by Daniel Davids, Kieran Garland and Marienella Phillips who are all Off-Stage Swings. The band will include Ed Begley, Tom Brady, Joe Downard, Shane Forbes, Megan Hill, Tom Knowles and Adam Martin.
Yorke said of the play upon announcement last year: “This is an interesting and intimidating challenge! Adapting the original music of Hail To The Thief for live performance with the actors on stage to tell this story that is forever being told, using its familiarity and sounds, pulling them into and out of context, seeing what chimes with the underlying grief and paranoia of Hamlet, using the music as a ‘presence’ in the room, watching how it collides with the action and the text.”
Hamlet Hail to the Thief will open at Aviva Studios in Manchester on April 27th for a run which ends on May 18th. It’ll then be transferred to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon between June 4th and June 28th.
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