Thom Yorke has brought the worlds of Radiohead and Wiliam Shakespeare together, with ‘Hamlet Hail To The Thief’ running in Manchester last year. This year, it’s coming to London, with the band’s frontman confirming earlier today (June 11) that it will be hitting the Barbican Centre for a 12-week run towards the end of this year.
Yorke has reworked the seminal Shakespeare play to base it on Radiohead’s sixth studio album, Hail To The Thief, which came out in 2003.
‘Hamlet Hail To The Thief’ will open at the Barbican on Saturday, October 31 and performances will run through until Saturday, January 23, 2027. In 2025, it premiered with a sold-out run at Aviva Studios in Manchester, and then moved on to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
It’s co-directed by Christine Jones & Steven Hoggett, with Thom Yorke reworking the Hail To The Thief songs into a score for the live orchestra to play live along with the play.
Speaking via the Radiohead Instagram page, Thom Yorke said on the announcement: “I’m 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.”
When do tickets to see ‘Hamlet Hail To The Thief’ go on sale?
General sale tickets for ‘Hamlet Hail To The Thief’ go live at 10am on Friday, June 26. Subscribers of W.A.S.T.E. will also be able to access tickets on Thursday, June 25 at the same time.
‘Hamlet Hail To The Thief’ kicks off at the Barbican Centre on October 31. Find out more information on the Barbican’s website.
