Ahead of watching our YouTube Premiere of Hamlet, which is available until Sunday 19th April, we invite you to look back with us at the 2018 production and its unique creative process.

Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet, is viewed by many as the fullest expression of Shakespeare’s genius. Spanning political intrigue, sexual obsession, philosophical reflection and violent action, our 2018 production embraced the play’s tragic depth and wild humour.

The show, which took place in the Globe Theatre, launched Michelle Terry’s first season here as new Artistic Director.

One ensemble (the designer, the composer, the choreographer, the actors and the directors) rehearsed the play simultaneously with As You Like It. 

‘A radical theatrical experiment.’

Referring to the rehearsal room as a ‘test tube’ in to which everything and anything could be flung, the ensemble viewed their creative space equally. The entire journey was embraced as an experiment. The result of this particular test… a team who had the ability to be as curious as they wished.

On the first day of rehearsals their brief was to ‘start from scratch’ and explore all production choices together, something which doesn’t always occur in the traditional theatre-making process, where decisions are often made months before productions are even cast.

‘We face the most challenging time in history as an industry.’

The ensemble behind this production began the creative process in a truly collaborative sense, and from a completely blank canvas their final creation was shared for the first time on 25th April 2018, when audiences gathered within our wooden O, as the final, vital piece in the show’s puzzle.

Fast-forward two years and right now we face the most challenging time in history as an industry. Last month, along with government guidance, we closed our doors to the public until further notice and are asking our supporters to donate if they can.

‘In 1599, when Hamlet stood and uttered the words “Now I am alone” – he would have been surrounded by up to 3,000 people,’ says Artistic Director, Michelle Terry. ‘Now we are alone, but we are also in the company of billions, from all around the globe, finding the most inspiring ways to be alone, together.’

You can explore Hamlet further by downloading the programme for the original production. Within its pages are articles, synopsis, cast & creatives, biographies and more.

You can also listen to and download the text for introductory notes, and check out our visual story too. This was created for our relaxed performance in 2018 and can be useful for those wanting to familiarise themselves with the video beforehand, as it details themes, characters and when loud noises occur.

Want to learn more about how the ensemble worked together? Back in 2018, our podcast series Such Stuff went behind the scenes to explore the show’s music  and reveal what really happens when any actor can play any character at any time.

Also ahead of the digital premiere, our very own Professor Farah Karim-Cooper provides a pre-show talk.

Well, we think that’s plenty of background for you all for now, ahead of our YouTube Premiere kicking off tonight (Monday 6th April) at 7.00pm.

Hamlet will be available for a fortnight before being replaced by another title – get the full details on how to tune in via our website.

We will see you there.

We may not be meeting physically this time, but we can’t wait to get together virtually with all of our friends. And if you haven’t already, we’re welcoming any donations small or large in return for our free streams, especially at this unprecedented time for our organisation. Thank you.