HAMLET

In Cinemas

★★★★

“revitalises the classic tragedy, landing with surprising warmth and clarity”

“The play’s the thing” and National Theatre Live remains one of the finest ways to share theatre widely. Kicking off the 2026 programme is ‘Hamlet’, captured from the Lyttelton Theatre run in 2025. Robert Hastie’s refreshingly modern production thrills, chills and fizzes with life, offering theatre devotees and casual viewers alike a compellingly atmospheric start to the new year.

The King is dead and Prince Hamlet suspects foul play. But in a world thick with treachery and madness, will the players hold their course or be pulled under?

Shakespeare’s haunting poetry is re energised as a vivid study of grief and emotional unravelling, balanced by surprising warmth and humour. Robert Hastie’s direction is assured and electrifying. The genuinely unsettling opening scene sets the tone, with ominous lighting, sound and even poltergeist jolts continuing to disturb the peace. Almost all the major characters receive a pleasingly layered interpretation. We lean into Hamlet’s ‘madness’, soliloquising beyond Elsinore’s physical bounds, firing real shots from an imagined gun, and communing with a sometimes-absent ghost, all the while disguising his deterioration with levity and biting quips. Claudius is unexpectedly sympathetic, displaying calm resolve and even genuine concern. His confession feels searching and his death becomes a defiant surrender rather than a forced poisoning. Ophelia’s arc shifts from romantic heartbreak to the crushing weight of her father’s murder, helped by a warmly awkward, devoted Polonius. Gertrude is the only major role that feels comparatively under developed. Overall, the production excels in emotional clarity, landing every line with purpose.

Ira Mandela Siobhan’s movement direction and Kate Waters’ fight choreography drive the energy, delivering slick, realistic sequences that culminate in a final duel brimming with passion.

Richard Taylor’s superb score moves from eerie, unsettling textures to frantic orchestrations, using silence as deftly as sound. The offstage Carducci quartet (Matthew Denton, Michelle Fleming, Eoin Schmidt-Martin, Emma Denton) deserve praise for their masterful execution.

Ben Stones’ set and costume design has a ‘Saltburn’ esque blend of grandeur and bleakness, balancing imposing scale with striking simplicity. When the set unexpectedly deconstructs for Ophelia’s funeral, it exposes the superficiality of Elsinore’s stateliness – simple yet richly layered.

Jessica Hung Han Yun’s lighting is superb, shifting effortlessly between psychological states. Opening in darkness with sparse torchlight infuses powerlessness and mistrust. Pulses of light sync perfectly with eerie glissandos, deepening the haunted atmosphere.

Alexandra Faye Braithwaite’s sound design captures the sense of isolation beautifully, though a little background noise from over sensitive mics creeps into the final mix.

Hiran Abeysekera delivers a remarkable Hamlet, embodying the Prince with clarity, precision and surprising sparkle, and holds focus throughout – no mean feat on a stage let alone a screen! Alistair Petrie’s Claudius is equally compelling, a masterclass in understatement. For once, I find myself sympathising. Francesca Mills’ Ophelia is funny, grounded and utterly real in a role that’s too often flattened. Tom Glenister’s Laertes is the perfect match, showing us true grief. Geoffrey Streatfeild’s Polonius is unexpectedly endearing, making his death quietly devastating. Aside from Ayesha Dharker’s slightly enigmatic Gertrude and a few stylised turns here and there, the ensemble is outstanding, breathing life into the oppressive Elsinore.

Not forgetting the production teams for this recording, the filming and editing do real justice to the performance.

National Theatre Live’s ‘Hamlet’ revitalises the classic tragedy, landing with surprising warmth and clarity. You’ll see the play in a new light, so catch it in cinemas while you can.

HAMLET

National Theatre Live – In Cinemas from 22nd January 2026

Reviewed on 9th January 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Sam Taylor

Hamlet

★★★★★

“gorgeous to look at and stunningly staged”

Shakespeare’s “Othello” is categorised as a tragedy. After all, the full title ‘The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice’ puts it in that box, although it has often been argued that it is not so easy to pigeonhole. While not specifically a ‘Problem Play’, it always has been problematic, due to its controversial and complex issues – particularly regarding race and misogyny. However, there is no problem whatsoever with Tom Morris’ beautifully and stylishly directed revival which captivates throughout, focusing more on the troubled motivations of an unhinged protagonist and his antagonist, Iago.

David Harewood is an imposing Othello with an implicit vulnerability, the degree of which he portrays with an understated precision. Morris makes explicit Othello’s epilepsy, but it is Harewood who manages to convey that there is much more going on under the skin. This play is less about the blackness of his skin than the greenness of the eyes. The monster looms large, drawing audible gasps from the audience at the key moments of violence. Toby Jones, as a deliciously impish Iago, steals more than his fair share of jealousy too. In turn, he shares his resentful and covetous secrets with the audience while manipulating his victims. A show-stealing, darkly mischievous performance that amazingly manages to tease out perverse comedy with impeccable timing; but still be pretty creepy too.

The timeless quality is enhanced by Ti Green’s use of modern costume, set against her opulent, regal backdrops that could belong to any era. The gold trimmings of the theatre’s auditorium stretch to the back of the stage in the shape of gilded picture frames that slip away to reveal the bed on which the murderous climax takes place. Richard Howell’s lighting creates suitably unsettling moods, softening us with warm coppers and cobalts, before shattering our complacency with crashes of white. PJ Harvey’s music (composed with Jon Nicholls) bubbles underneath, often unnoticed and subliminal; unnerving yet still magnificently stylised.

Caitlin Fitzgerald’s Desdemona matches the grandeur. Regal in stature she fights back at her husband’s powerplay with a stillness and strength that (almost) conceals her fear of her own inevitable fate. Video projections reveal the dual emotions in her eyes up close – a fitting omen for the final tragic scenes. It is in these scenes that the peripheral characters take centre stage too – notably Vinette Robinson’s Emilia, the wife of Iago, who breaks out of her subservient pragmatism to deliver lines rich with emotion. Luke Treadaway, as the easily led, hard-done-by Cassio, is impressively charismatic, mixing gallantry and gullibility in explosive measures. Tom Byrne, as Roderigo, adds a lighter touch. Another pawn in Iago’s great scheme, he is more of a fool for love, allowing himself to be easily manipulated.

The whole story is crystal clear, each actor masterfully enunciating Shakespeare’s text and projecting to the rafters with ease. The only slight quibble is that the writing is, at times, a bit long-winded, to say the least. But who’s going to argue with the playwright? This slick production swiftly steers through the soliloquies to stab at the unpalatable truths of human nature. Shakespeare may have written ‘Othello’ surrounded by different principles and outlooks in society, but Morris and company take his words and speak to us in a modern setting with just as much urgency. The show is gorgeous to look at and stunningly staged. Pacy and provocative, filmic and theatrical, full of dark humour and darker candour. Compelling, chilling and thrilling; and staged with the choreographic fluidity of a ballet.

Tag Archives: Kate Waters

HAMLET

★★★★

In Cinemas

HAMLET

In Cinemas

★★★★

“revitalises the classic tragedy, landing with surprising warmth and clarity”

HAMLET