James Norton set to play Hamlet in London’s West End
Good luck sweet prince
It’s always a bit of an eyebrow-raiser when movie and TV stars tread the boards in plays in London’s West End, but we have faith this one will end well: James Norton is set to star in the latest adaptation of Hamlet.
The show’s producers have announced the run will come to the West End in 2027, although we don’t yet have the name of the theatre it’s coming to.
Important details we do have: James Norton and director Thomas Ostermeier, who currently works in Berlin, are attached.
This is Ostermeier’s own take on Hamlet, and the German version of his production was first staged all the way back in 2008. It has toured all over the world, including a stint in London in December 2011.
But this will be the first time Ostermeier directs an English version of Shakespeare’s great play.
“It will be my first time directing Shakespeare in English, and I am excited to explore the original text in order to bring this new production to life. My first Hamlet has been touring the world for 18 years so I am honoured to have the opportunity to bring it here to London with James, who in my mind is a perfect Prince of Denmark,” says Ostermeier.
Norton can currently be seen in House of the Dragon, in which he plays Lord Hightower. But he’s not a complete stranger to theatre acting.
In 2023 he starred in the stage adaptation of A Little Life at the Harold Pinter theatre. It received somewhat mixed reviews for its sheer gruelling nature, but Norton’s performance was widely praised. He has, unsurprisingly, the chops.
The German version of Ostermeier’s Hamlet runs to around 165 minutes. It’s no lightweight take, and we expect the same of the English edition.
Other works of his that have come to London theatres include last year’s The Seagull, starring Cate Blanchett and Tom Burke, and his “bold reimagining” of Ibsen play An Enemy of the People, starring Matt Smith. Ostermeier is a director with star-gathering clout.
“It’s a privilege for anyone to take on the role of Hamlet. It’s also pretty terrifying. But with Thomas Ostermeier at the helm, I know I could not be in better hands,” says Norton.
His take on Hamlet is set to come to London theatres in Autumn 2027.
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