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Radiohead’s vocalist and frontman Thom Yorke has been working alongside Tony award-winning directors Christine Jones and Steve Hoggatt to bring his ideas to life. The show is a modern adaptation of the Shakespeare classic ‘Hamlet’, which Radiohead announced the production of on Instagram in 2024, sharing Yorke’s nerves and excitement to attempt this new project.    

 

 

 

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‘Hamlet: Hail to the Thief’ premiered in Aviva Studios in Manchester in April and will continue to show here until 18 May. In June, the production will then be available to attend in Stratford’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Radiohead’s ‘Hail to the Thief’ did not originally come to be with inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The band explained the inspiration for the record and its political focus in interviews upon its release. With Hamlet’s themes on power and corruption, the relationship between the two projects makes for an exciting production. 

Yorke explained in an interview with The Observer, that he realised the connection between ‘Hail to the Thief’ and Hamlet long after the album’s creation. Director Jones also shared that she found a relationship between the play’s dialogue and the album’s lyricism. Here, Yorke went on to reveal his initial hesitation, thinking Hamlet was “untouchable”. However, he pressed on with the production since “the idea didn’t go away”. When reimagining the album as a theatrical performance, Yorke considered how the music would translate to live theatre, expressing that he wanted, “a band playing, but rather than an orchestra in a pit, actually playing. Not playing as a covers band.” 

The trailer is dark and ominous, sparking excitement with fans. Those who have seen the Manchester premiere have shared images from the show, revelling in the magic of the production.

Words cannot express the experience that was Halmet Hail to the Thief. #HailtotheThief #hamlet #avivastudios pic.twitter.com/Xmw76vZEjy

— Dara (@GhostofDara) April 27, 2025

Yorke’s creative endeavours reach great heights in theatre and music, with an upcoming album ‘Tall Tales’ with Mark Prichard along with a global screening event on 8 May. Tickets are available here, and tickets for upcoming dates of ‘Hamlet: Hail to the Thief’ can be found on the Factory International website and the Royal Shakespeare Company website.

The gig was hosted by Factory International’s Aviva Studios in Manchester, the city home to Marr, making his appearance alongside the ‘Take Me Out’ rockers even more legendary.

Marr has impressive credentials during his time in the industry, not only as the guitarist and co-songwriter in the angst-indie group The Smiths during the 1980s, but his contributions to Modest Mouse, The Pretenders, The The, The Cribs and his very own solo career.

The appearance of the now 61-year-old at the Amazon Music gig was marked with excitement as the iconic guitarist graced the stage.

“Do You Want To”

One of the best @Franz_Ferdinand singled … and tonight with @Johnny_Marr at Aviva Studios Manchester pic.twitter.com/wbs2DUZUPS

— Altrincham HQ – Social Media Marketing in Manc (@altrinchamhq) January 18, 2025

The gig placed Franz Ferdinand’s sixth studio album ‘The Human Fear’ at the forefront, which released January 10. The group teamed up with Marr for a total of three songs on the night. The first being ‘Build It Up’, the fifth track from their latest release. Marr’s contributions to the live rendition of the track were electrifying and captivating, seeming almost effortless to the guitarist.

‘Build It Up’ was followed by ‘Do You Want To’, a track with almost 100 million streams on Spotify, which stands as the second track on the band’s second album ‘You Could Have It So Much Better’.  

Wow@Franz_Ferdinand and @Johnny_Marr at Aviva Studios Manchester “Bigmouth Strikes Again” pic.twitter.com/8iV1HgrJBu — Altrincham HQ – Social Media Marketing in Manc (@altrinchamhq) January 18, 2025

Perhaps the most unforgettable of the three tracks was saved to last, as the indie rockers covered a Smiths classic, ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’, from their iconic but provocative third LP ‘The Queen Is Dead’, released in 1986. During the collaboration Marr looked at home, as Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos and Marr bonded over their desire to create an unforgettable experience for the audience.

After Marr’s appearance alongside the band, the guitarist reminisced on the collaboration, writing on Instagram: “Love and best to my friends @franz_ferdinand for a great time and great show”.

 

 

 

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As the exclusive on-stage collaboration came to an end, the Scottish rock band commenced with possibly one of their most notable tracks, ‘Take Me Out’ from their 2004 debut LP of the same name. With it’s infectious instrumentation, gripping melodies and memorable lyrics, the band provided gig-goers with a performance rife with energy, despite being over 20 years since the track’s initial release.

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Although the gig took place at Aviva Studios, fans unable to attend were able to witness the show from the comfort of their own homes through livestreams on both Prime Video and Twitch, as a result of the concert being the latest edition of Amazon Music’s City Sessions series.

Franz Ferdinand setlist:

‘The Doctor’

‘No You Girls’

‘Night Or Day’

‘Walk Away’

‘Audacious’

‘Stand On The Horizon’

‘The Dark Of The Matinee’

‘Bar Lonely’

‘Love Illumination’

‘Build It Up’ (with Johnny Marr)

‘Do You Want To’ (with Johnny Marr)

‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ (with Johnny Marr)

‘Take Me Out’

‘Hooked’

‘The Birds’