An innovative new production of Hamlet featuring reworked music from Radiohead’s iconic record Hail to the Thief comes to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon next year.

A new orchestral version of the album will be played by a cast of 20 musicians each night, with the project described as a “feverish new live experience, fusing theatre, music and movement.”

Hamlet Hail to the Thief is directed by Steven Hoggett and Christine Jones.  Jones says the inspiration for the unique partnership came after she noticed how the record and play shared themes of moral corruption, dysfunctional government and decay.

“The first Radiohead concert I ever saw was the Hail to the Thief tour in 2003. It changed my DNA. Not long after, I was reading Hamlet and listening to the album. I became aware of how many songs from Hail to the Thief speak to the themes of the play,” Jones said.

“There are uncanny reverberances between the text and the album.  For years I’ve wanted to see the play and album collide in a piece of theatre; eventually I shared the idea with Thom, who was intrigued. I wasn’t sure what we would make, but I knew I wanted to make it with Steven and continue experimenting and building on work we have done together over many years.”

Radiohead’s Thome Yorke, who is remaining the 2003 album especially for the show, said: “This is an interesting and intimidating challenge .. ! 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.”

Following its world premiere in Manchester, Hamlet Hail to the Thief comes to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Wed 4 Jun – Sat 28 Jun.