Thom Yorke Is Adapting Radiohead’s Hail To The Thief For A New Production Of Hamlet
Earlier this year, Thom Yorke scored Daniele Luchetti’s Confidenza. Today, the Radiohead frontman announced he’s teaming up with directors Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones for a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet soundtracked by the band’s 2003 album Hail To The Thief.
According to Deadline, the “fast-paced” production is titled Hamlet Hail To The Thief and will transpire at Aviva Studios in Manchester from April 27 to May 18, 2025, then at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford from June 4 to 28, 2025.
“This is an interesting and intimidating challenge,” said Yorke who “personally reworked” the songs. “Adapting the original music of Hail To The Thief for live performance with the actors on stage to tell this story that is forever being told, using its familiarity and sounds, pulling them into and out of context, seeing what chimes with the underlying grief and paranoia of Hamlet, using the music as a ‘presence’ in the room, watching how it collides with the action and the text. Ghosting one against the other.”