The RSC and Neal Street production of Hamnet is heading out on its first UK tour, opening at the Lowry in Salford on 25 September 2027 and visiting 13 venues by spring 2028.
The RSC’s stage version of Hamnet is going on the road. The adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel opens its first UK tour at the Lowry in Salford on 25 September 2027, staying until 2 October. Fiery Angel and Neal Street present it.
Thirteen stops are announced so far, all of them with dates. The autumn leg runs from Salford to Bath, then breaks for Christmas. The tour resumes in January 2028 and carries on to Belfast, York, Wimbledon and Southampton, with further dates still to come.
Lolita Chakrabarti wrote the stage version. Rather than the playwright himself, it puts the people around William Shakespeare at the centre: his wife, Agnes, their children, and the son the family loses. The book has since become an Oscar-winning film.
Erica Whyman, formerly the RSC’s deputy and acting artistic director, directs, with set design by Tom Piper. The production began at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, where it broke box office records, then moved to the Garrick Theatre in 2023 with the largest advance the house had recorded at the time. Its first US tour followed in 2026, taking in Chicago, Washington and San Francisco.
“It’s wonderful to know that the RSC/Neal Street production of Hamnet is embarking on a tour of the UK,” said O’Farrell. “The production goes from strength to strength and it’s lovely that more people will get to see it.”
For Whyman, the tour is close to home ground: “I have spent my career advocating for UK touring so I’m especially pleased to be working with Fiery Angel and Neal Street so that we can share this production with so many new audiences all over the country.”
The dates announced so far:
- 25 September - 2 October 2027: Lowry, Salford
- 5-9 October 2027: Theatre Royal Newcastle, Newcastle
- 12-16 October 2027: Hall for Cornwall, Truro
- 19-23 October 2027: Norwich Theatre Royal, Norwich
- 26-30 October 2027: Theatre Royal Nottingham, Nottingham
- 2-6 November 2027: Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
- 9-13 November 2027: The Alexandra, Birmingham
- 16-20 November 2027: Theatre Royal Glasgow, Glasgow
- 23-27 November 2027: Theatre Royal Bath, Bath
- 18-22 January 2028: Grand Opera House, Belfast
- 1-5 February 2028: Grand Opera House, York
- 7-11 March 2028: New Wimbledon Theatre, London
- 21-25 March 2028: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
So far the tour’s only London week is at Wimbledon. Further dates, casting and on-sale details for each venue are still to be announced.
