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BrumHour saw Hamlet Hail to the Thief with thanks to The RSC.
By Dave Massey x.com/BrumHour
This production contains strong language, and onstage violence.
Hamlet Hail To The Thief at The RSC Royal Shakespeare Theatre: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A thought-provoking spectacle.
Directed by Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones Music by Radiohead
Hamlet Hail To The Thief is a co-production between the Royal Shakespeare Company and Factory International
Arriving at the theatre, hanging jackets and smoke fill the three-sided stage. There is a huge backdrop that looks like a full recording studio with glass panels and huge speakers. Plotwise, death seems to follow Hamlet and lingers with him as he deals with shifts in power around him. Can he keep his mind together to battle through?
There are moments where this feels like a fast-paced, intoxicating dream. The performers are dressed in suits dancing synchronously, reflecting the moods of each other’s characters, showing understanding. There is an awareness in the dialogue of the challenging mental health issues and anger that comes from grief.
Samuel Blenkin is excellent as Hamlet, broken both in vocals and movement, and appearing haunted throughout. He climbs up and down this stage to higher platforms easily. The rest of the company are solid throughout, with special mention to vocalists, Megan Hill and Ed Begley.
I’ve not actually seen a full version of Hamlet before and as a first version, this was chock full of speeches that I knew well from other media. Does the music of Radiohead add to this performance, if I hadn’t been told it was Radiohead would I have known? “I don’t belong here?” Certainly, it provides a powerful soundscape backdrop to this abridged script of Hamlet, but some of the lyrics felt distorted as I tried to hear them.
The set is designed by AMP featuring Sadra Tehrani and features projection into the walls and stage itself, from snowfall to huge gig lighting it shifts swiftly from intimate to encompassing. The costumes are fit for a fine funeral and wake.
Shakespeare fully deserves this type of retelling, a new lens pulling different aspects of the script into focus. It felt like a majority of the press audience we new to the theatre. Which is fantastic to see. Hail to the Thief!
A thought-provoking spectacle, Hamlet Hail To The Thief is at The RSC’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 28th June 2025. Book tickets here: rsc.org.uk/hamlet-hail-to-the-thief. Discover more about Factory International here: factoryinternational.org.
