Radiohead’s Thom Yorke Merges ‘Hamlet’ with ‘Hail to the Thief’ for Dystopian Stage Adaptation
variety.comNaman Ramachandran Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is collaborating with directors Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones on “Hamlet Hail to the Thief,” a new theater adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy incorporating music from Radiohead’s 2003 album “Hail to the Thief.” Described as a “feverish new live experience,” the show will feature Shakespeare’s text illuminated by Radiohead’s album, reworked by Yorke and performed live by a cast of 20 musicians and actors.
The adaptation reimagines Elsinore as a surveillance state. The plot centers on Hamlet and Ophelia’s awakening to the lies and corruption in Denmark, gradually revealed by ghosts and music.
The production promises a world where paranoia reigns and no one is spared a tragic unraveling. Hoggett, an Olivier Award-winning choreographer and director, is known for his work on “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” “Black Watch,” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Jones, a Tony and Olivier Award-winning theater artist, has designed sets for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “American Idiot” and “Spring Awakening.” The creative team includes Hoggett and Jones as directors, with music by Radiohead, orchestrations by Yorke, arrangements by Justin Levine, and set design by AMP Collective featuring Sadra Tehrani. “Hamlet Hail to the Thief” is co-produced by Factory International, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and ATC Experience, Nate Koch and Vivek J.
Read more on variety.com
