Almeida's HAMLET transfers to the Harold Pinter Theatre
by Best of Theatre Staff on Tuesday 28 March 2017, 12:18 pm in West End News & Gossip
Olivier Award-winning director, Robert Icke’s (Mary Stuart, The Red Barn, Uncle Vanya, Oresteia, Mr Burns and 1984), ground-breaking and electrifying production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, starring BAFTA award-winner Andrew Scott (Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock, Denial, Spectre, Design For Living and Cock) in the title role, will transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre, following a critically acclaimed and sell out run at the Almeida Theatre. Hamlet will run for a limited season only from 9 June to 2 September 2017 with press night on Thursday 15 June.
Hamlet is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group (Sunday In The Park With George, Buried Child, Oresteia), Sonia Friedman Productions and the Almeida Theatre (Chimerica, Ghosts, King Charles III, 1984, Oresteia), who are renowned for introducing groundbreaking, critically acclaimed transfers to the West End.
Rupert Goold, Artistic Director, Almeida Theatre said "We’re delighted that with this transfer more people will be able to experience our production of Hamlet. Robert, Andrew, and the entire Hamlet company have created an unforgettable Shakespeare which we’re looking forward to sharing even more widely over the summer in partnership with Sonia Friedman Productions and ATG.”
Robert Icke, Director (and Almeida Theatre Associate Director) said “It has been such a thrill to work with Andrew and the extraordinary company of Hamlet on this play so far, and I'm delighted we're going to continue our work on this play in the West End this summer. I'm also extremely proud to be working with the Almeida and our producers, ATG and Sonia Friedman, to be able to present this play in a way that genuinely throws the doors open to a bigger range of audience members. In an increasingly expensive industry, I can't tell you how brilliant it is for them to commit to having 300 tickets priced at under £30 at every single show."
Andrew Scott, playing Hamlet, "I'm so thrilled and honoured to be playing this extraordinary role with these brilliant actors in Rob's stunning production. We have been overwhelmed with the reaction to our interpretation of Hamlet and I'm so happy that we can share it with a larger audience. This is a play full of heart, compassion and humanity. I'm so happy that we are able to offer 300 tickets for under £30 to every performance in the West End run to allow everybody a chance to see the play."
The confirmed cast for the transfer of Robert Icke’s production includes Marty Cruickshank (Player Queen), Jessica Brown Findlay (Ophelia), Calum Finlay (Rosencrantz), Joshua Higgott (Horatio), Daniel Rabin (Reynaldo), David Rintoul (Ghost/Player King), Andrew Scott (Hamlet) Juliet Stevenson (Gertrude), Luke Thompson (Laertes), Peter Wight (Polonius), Angus Wright (Claudius) and Matthew Wynn (Bernardo/Player 3/Priest). Further cast will be announced in due course.
Hamlet has design by Hildegard Bechtler, with lighting by Natasha Chivers, sound by Tom Gibbons, and video design by Tal Yarden. The Associate Director is Daniel Raggett. Casting is by Julia Horan.
Multi award-winning Director, Robert Icke, has adapted/directed at the Almeida Theatre Mary Stuart, Uncle Vanya, Oresteia (also West End, and for which Icke won the Critics' Circle, Evening Standard and Olivier Award for Best Director) and the multi-award-winning 1984 with Duncan Macmillan (also West End as well as playing several UK and international tours, and a forthcoming Broadway run at the newly opened Hudson Theater).
His work as a director includes The Fever at The May Fair Hotel, Mr Burns at the Almeida, Boys and Romeo and Juliet for Headlong. He made his National Theatre debut directing The Red Barn, at the Lyttelton Theatre in October 2016 starring Mark Strong and Elizabeth Debicki.