Radiohead’s iconic album “Hail to the Thief” is set to be re-imagined in a groundbreaking new stage show that combines the music of the British band with the timeless words of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The innovative production, titled “Hamlet Hail to the Thief,” is the brainchild of theatre director Christine Jones, who was inspired by the shared themes of moral corruption, decay, and dysfunctional government in both the play and the album.
The show will make its world premiere in Manchester in April before moving to the historic town of Stratford-Upon-Avon in June. Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is taking on the challenge of re-working the 2003 album for the stage, describing the project as both “interesting and intimidating.”
Jones, who also designed the set for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” explained that the idea for the show came to her while listening to the album and reading the play simultaneously. She noticed how the lyrics of “Hail to the Thief” resonated with the themes of “Hamlet,” leading her to envision a unique fusion of music, theatre, and movement.
The re-imagined production will feature a cast of around 20 musicians and actors performing a deconstructed version of the album live on stage. Producers promise a “feverish new live experience” that will illuminate Shakespeare’s words with Radiohead’s music.
Yorke expressed his excitement for the project, stating, “Adapting the original music of ‘Hail to the Thief’ for live performance with the actors on stage to tell this story that is forever being told, using its familiarity and sounds, pulling them into and out of context, seeing what chimes with the underlying grief and paranoia of Hamlet, using the music as a ‘presence’ in the room, watching how it collides with the action and the text. Ghosting one against the other.”
With its innovative approach to blending music and theatre, “Hamlet Hail to the Thief” promises to be a must-see production that pushes the boundaries of traditional stage shows. Stay tuned for more updates on the cast and performance dates as the show prepares to take audiences on a captivating journey through the worlds of Shakespeare and Radiohead.
