Check out our exclusive photos from ‘Hamlet: Hail to the Thief’ rehearsals

Ahead of Hamlet: Hail to the Thief making its London debut, Rolling Stone UK can exclusively share a selection of photos which show the creative team, including Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke, bringing the production to life.

The acclaimed RSC play is a unique melding of worlds, with the Shakespearean classic being contrasted against Radiohead‘s 2003 album Hail to the Thief.

The show opened in Manchester last year to a five star review from Rolling Stone UK, and will now transfer to London this weekend. Olivier Award-winning directors Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones’ collaboration with Yorke will open at the Barbican Theatre on October 31 this year and run until 23 January 2027. You can buy tickets here.

Brand new photography by Alex Lake now gives a look at the show coming to life, with Samuel Blenkin, who will reprise his role as Hamlet, seen alongside Thom Yorke ahead of the show’s transfer.

The show also stars Ami Tredrea asOphelia, 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 / understudy Ophelia, and Marienella Phillips as understudy Rosencrantz, Barnarda/ Player Queen and Gravedigger. 

Completing the cast will be Nicolas Tennantas Polonius, Merryl Ansah as Gravedigger/ understudy Gertrude, Miles Barrow as Rosencrantz/ understudy Hamlet, Halim Diwani as understudy Laertes, Horatio, and Guildenstern and Gavin James as understudy Claudius and Polonius. 

The full original band will also return to the production including Ed Begley (Vocals), Tom Brady (Music Supervisor, Music Director and Keys 2), Jenny Clifford (Guitars), Joe Downard (Bass Guitar), Shane Forbes (Drums), Meg Hill (Vocals), Tom Knowles (Associate Music Supervisor and Keys 1) andAdam Martin (Guitars). They will be joined by two additional cover singers Emilio Moreno Arias and Josephina Ortiz Lewis.

Yorke previously said: “I’m into 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. When it revealed itself to us over time I was shocked, having never had this kind of experience before. I am happy for it to be seen by a wider audience in such an intense space.”

Reviewing the show, Rolling Stone UK hailed Hamlet Hail to the Thief  as “a stunning collision of worlds”.

“The biggest testament to Yorke and his co-writers is that these worlds collide so seamlessly, as if they were always meant to be together,” our review stated. “Though incredibly ambitious, there’s a sky-scraping beauty within this production that still manages to breathe new life into a tale as old as time.”