Hamlet ★★★ National Theatre | Sep 25 - Nov 22, 2025


Hamlet is back! The National Theatre’s inaugural production was Shakespeare’s Hamlet, staged at the Old Vic in 1963. Peter O’Toole played the title role under the direction of Laurence Olivier. This new revival marks the company’s seventh staging of the classic, and director Robert Hastie and lead actor Hiran Abeysekera have some formidable shoes to fill. Abeysekera, known for his starring role in The Life of Pi, brings much of that same physicality to his portrayal of Hamlet. Rather than the traditional hesitant and melancholic prince, his version of the brooding Dane brims with restless energy. When he is not delivering the familiar soliloquies, he leaps about the stage in an acrobatic display that often borders on comedy and at times becomes distracting. Abeysekera's stated intention of injecting humour into the tragedy is evident and partially successful, although it is debatable whether it enriches the work. Francesca Mills offers an unconventional take on Ophelia, leaning heavily into broad mugging and exaggerated gestures. Her performance generates little sympathy for the gentle, jilted heroine, and her appearance in a tracksuit at one point feels oddly out of place. The lack of chemistry between Mills and Abeysekera further undermines the doomed love story, which never achieves genuine poignancy. A similar absence of passion marks the pairing of Ayesha Dharker’s Gertrude and Alistair Petrie’s Claudius. Petrie delivers one of the evening’s more convincing portrayals, yet his Claudius seems driven by calculation rather than lust or affection. Geoffrey Streatfeild’s Polonius is solidly played, and he makes the most of his lines, though he too appears somewhat detached from the surrounding drama. It is as if Hastie has envisaged a Hamlet in which the characters inhabit separate worlds. While the actors may craft vivid individual performances, there seems to be a deliberate lack of connection between them. While the play’s the thing, the production is equally important. This latest offering from the National Theatre proves puzzling, but it is also thought-provoking.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo Sam Taylor

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: London SE1 9PX, UK

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