A musical adaptation merging Shakespeare's Hamlet with Radiohead's album Hail to the Thief will make its London premiere at the Barbican Theatre.
The production is scheduled to run from October 31, 2026, through January 23, 2027. It previously received its world premiere at Aviva Studios in Manchester from April 27 to May 18, 2025, followed by a limited engagement at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from June 4 to 28, 2025.
Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett co-directed and adapted the work. Radiohead supplied the music, with orchestrations by Thom Yorke. Samuel Blenkin stars as Hamlet.
Thom Yorke, Radiohead frontman and orchestrator, commented on the upcoming dates. “I’m finally bringing Hamlet Hail to the Thief to London, and to the Barbican of all places! It is fascinating and very strange to me how this came to life and how it has worked,” he said.
Christine Jones, co-director and adapter, highlighted the material's continued resonance. “Both the play and the album continue to speak urgently to the convulsed world we find ourselves in,” she said.
The staging intertwines the Danish prince's story with songs from the 2003 album, which addressed themes of power and surveillance. The Barbican run marks the first London presentation after the Manchester and Stratford engagements.
The Guardian, Variety, and Playbill reported the London dates and creative details on June 11, 2026.
