Royal Shakespeare Co’s ‘Hamnet’ Stirs Audiences at STC
At the Shakespeare Theatre Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Hamnet has arrived to quietly stirring results.
Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti from Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, the play pivots away from the public mythology of William Shakespeare to focus instead on the private pulse of his family life. At its center is Agnes, a woman attuned to nature and nuance, whose marriage to William is marked by deep devotion, and ultimately, devastating loss following the death of their young son, Hamnet.
The story unfolds less as a linear biography and more as a lyrical meditation on love, grief, and the fragile fabric of memory.
Directed with measured sensitivity by Erica Whyman, the production leans into atmosphere and abstraction. Movement, music, and silence are as significant as speech. It’s a style that may not be as satisfying to those seeking straightforward storytelling, but it rewards patience with moments of genuine poignancy.
Kemi-Bo Jacobs anchors as Agnes with a performance that is both grounded and gently otherworldly. Her presence is steady, her emotional shifts subtle. Opposite her, Rory Alexander’s William is more intentionally muted, serving as a counterbalance rather than a focal point. Their shared scenes are the highlights of the play.
Visually, the production is spare but striking. Tom Piper’s design allows light, sound, and movement to shape the stage, and Ayşe Tashkiran’s choreography underscores the production’s physical storytelling.
There are moments when Hamnet feels more meditative than dramatic; More mood than momentum. Its pacing can be pensive, but within that stillness lies its strength: a sincere, softly sculpted study of sorrow and resilience.
This is not Shakespeare in the traditional sense, nor does it strive to be. Instead, Hamnet offers a contemplative counterpoint, a play that trades in feeling rather than flourish, and finds its footing in the spaces between.
Hamnet is on stage at the Shakespeare Theatre Co. through April 12, 2026.
