ATC MUSIC GROUP, VIVEK J. TIWARY FOR TEG+ AND NATE KOCH PRESENT HAMLET HAIL TO THE THIEF

Thom Yorke, Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett have collaborated on a dynamic new reimagining of Hamlet, in which Shakespeare’s text is illuminated by Radiohead’s acclaimed 2003 album Hail to the Thief, newly reworked by Yorke and performed live onstage by a company of musicians and actors.

Photo Credit: Hamlet Hail to The thief, 2025 Production, Manual Harlan

Samuel Blenkin reprises his role as Hamlet, alongside Ami Tredrea as Ophelia. The returning cast also includes Paul Hilton as Claudius/Ghost, Claudia Harrison as Gertrude, Alby Baldwin as Horatio, Brandon Grace as Laertes, Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern, Romaya Weaver as Barnarda/Player Queen, and Marienella Phillips as Offstage Swing. Further casting will be announced in due course.

Photo Credit: Hamlet Hail to the Thief, Barbican Theatre

Following an acclaimed world premiere at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where it played to sold-out houses, Hamlet Hail to the Thief will receive its London premiere at the Barbican Theatre from 31 October 2026 to 23 January 2027. The production fuses Shakespeare’s great tragedy with Radiohead’s seminal album in a frenetic, co-created work developed by Yorke alongside directors Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones.

In this fast-paced distillation of the play, Shakespeare’s words and Radiohead’s music illuminate one another in unexpected ways, blending theatre, movement and live performance. Personally reworked by Yorke, the deconstructed album is performed live onstage by the ensemble of musicians and actors.

Samuel Blenkin (Alien: Earth, FX; Mickey 17, Warner Bros; Black Mirror, Netflix) reprises his role as Hamlet, with Ami Tredrea (The Shitheads, Royal Court; Wendy and Peter Pan, RSC/Barbican) as Ophelia. Paul Hilton (Mass, Donmar Warehouse; Olivier-nominated for An Enemy of the People, West End) returns as Claudius/Ghost, opposite Claudia Harrison (The Line of Beauty, Almeida Theatre; The Crown, Netflix) as Gertrude.

The returning cast also includes Alby Baldwin (The Unbelievers, Royal Court; Tender, Bush Theatre) as Horatio, Brandon Grace (Summerfolk and London Tide, National Theatre) as Laertes, Felipe Pacheco (The Hunger Games, Troubadour Theatre; Metamorphosis, Frantic Assembly) as Guildenstern, Romaya Weaver (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Globe; The Cabinet Minister, Menier Chocolate Factory) as Barnarda/Player Queen, and Marienella Phillips (Love’s Labour’s Lost, RSC; A Christmas Carol, The Lowry) as Offstage Swing. Further casting will be announced.

Photo Credit: Hamlet Hail to The thief, 2025 Production, Manual Harlan

Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett recently collaborated with David Byrne as choreographer on Who Is the Sky. His extensive credits include Nye, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Black Watch, and he is a founding member of Frantic Assembly.

Tony and Olivier Award-winner Christine Jones is creator and artistic director of the acclaimed Theatre For One (most recently presented at the Barbican in March 2026) and co-creator, with Hoggett and David Byrne, of Social Distance Dance Club, the post-pandemic immersive dance experience at the Park Avenue Armory. Their previous collaborations as choreographer and designer include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, American Idiot, and Let the Right One In.

Hail to the Thief (2003) is Radiohead’s sixth studio album and features singles including “There There,” “2+2=5,” and “Go to Sleep.” Recorded in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the subsequent “War on Terror,” the album reflects a period of paranoia and anxiety, with dystopian themes and Orwellian influences. Inspired by Yorke’s work on Hamlet Hail to the Thief, Radiohead released Hail to the Thief – Live Recordings last September, revisiting archival performances from 2003 to 2009.

Hamlet Hail to the Thief closes the Barbican’s autumn/winter theatre and dance season, which features international work from leading voices in theatre, dance, and literature.

For more information, visit barbican.org.uk

🗓 Running at the Barbican Theatre from 31 October 2026 to 23 January 2027

🎟 Tickets go on sale to the public at 10am on Friday 26 June at www.hamlethailtothethief.com