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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.

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Of the list of venues, many are in London based, with venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, Alexandra Palace, the Southbank Centre, the English National Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the National Theatre receiving a collected £165million in low-interest repayable finance. However, many Northern venues have also received funding, with venues such as The Factory in Manchester receiving £21 million, Nottingham’s Broadway receiving £144,000, and the Turner Contemporary in Margate receiving £264,000.

UK culture minister, Oliver Dowden spoke positively about the donations, stating that this portion of funding was withheld initially to help health officials assess “changing public health picture. This government promised it would be here for culture, and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word.” Dowden said in a statement.

“The £1 billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications. Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture, so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.”