Hamlet Hail to the Thief starts previews at the Barbican

Hamlet Hail to the Thief began previews at the Barbican Theatre in London on 31 October, Matinee Musicals reports. The Barbican has set press night for 12 November and the last date for 23 January 2027.

Radiohead themselves do not perform, the Barbican's listing states, though the music is theirs. Thom Yorke did the orchestrations, and the listing describes the score, played by live musicians, as his deconstruction of Hail to the Thief. Theatre Weekly says the actors play it too. Yorke is named as co-creator with the directors Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett. The show lasts about one hour 40 minutes, with no interval.

London follows engagements in Stratford-upon-Avon and Manchester, and the listing says tickets for those sold out. Rolling Stone UK recalls giving the Manchester staging five stars, and says the show's original band returns in full with Samuel Blenkin again playing Hamlet.

Rolling Stone UK also recalls Yorke saying earlier that he wanted the show at the Barbican, and that he is glad more people can see it in so intense a space.