Or Aviva Studios. But Factory International above all else.

So I’m going to go in on this straight off, as I tried it out, once.

Wizard of Oz and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. The gig is that there’s an incredible synchronicity in theme, tone, tempo and narrative if player out simultaneously.

Completed that – awarded self chufty badge.Verdict – perfect. Very happy to support, on the whole, ‘this’.

Next up Hamlet and Radiohead’s/ Hail to the Thief.

Shakespeare’s great tragedy and Radiohead’s seminal album collide for a feverish experience that fuses theatre, music, and movement.
In this frenetic distillation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Elsinore has come under new rule and hectic runs in the blood of its citizens. Hamlet Hail to the Thief centres on Hamlet and Ophelia’s awakening to the lies and corruption revealed by ghosts and music. Paranoia reigns and no one is spared a tragic unravelling.

Actually can I start by talking about Aviva Studios – home, indeed, of Factory International?

I’ve attended a few things here at this relatively I think we can still describe as new arts space, but only in the ‘Hall’ and foyer space. This time I was intrigued to find myself climbing the stairs upto the vacuous Warehouse. Blimey O’Reilly. Take it from me, this place just gets better. And by place, I mean the home of Factory International. And by place I also mean Manchester.

Let’s return to synchronicity and what ties the two different artistic disciplines and pieces we have in front of us.

Hamlet, written by one William Shakespeare (now, now, conspiracy theorists) and Hail to the Thief, the sixth studio album by Radiohead, have over 400 years between their conceptions.

But what’s a few centuries between friends and shared themes?

I read a brilliant piece in the production programme, which outlines just how the two texts marry. Both deal in a contested transfer of power under nefarious circumstances (allegedly, allegedly – although who am I to question the ghost of Hamlet’s father, in the first). In Hamlet, aficionados of this great text, will be familiar with the ‘son returns from university in Denmark, son discovers father has died, son discovers mother has since married his uncle, son discovers uncle is new king, ghost of son’s father appears to warn of foul play’.

Hail to the Thief as perfectly signposted in its album title, speaks to the Bush/Gore election in America, hotly contested, steeped in controversy and questions.

Both deal in the danger of complacency, but what response to take?

And in order to beautifully seal the bringing together of these two pieces of art in practice, a little compromise, deconstruction and abridging has taken place, resulting in a production and interpretation which is astonishing and exhilarating to bear witness to.

The album, with adaptations by Christine Jones, Steven Hoggart and Thom Yorke, becomes part of the ensemble. Another actor, replacing some text and lines of the play through the wonderful live performances of the musicians and singers in front of this. Let’s be clear, this is not a musical. This is, I repeat, not Hamlet the Musical. For if it were, a little piece of me would have died in that warehouse.

This is acting, story-telling, movement and music fusing together to showcase a grisly, powerful and dark story that is as true to its original premise as the album is to its.

I used the word compromise earlier, but in its most positive translation – one which is minimal in nature but, in its realisation, maximum in positive effect, keeping the elements and beauty of both forms in place and if anything, mutually enhancing one another.

There’s the concept and theory, and a word on the result, but what of the execution.

Dark and brooding, terrifying (not me jumping every time that trouble-making ghost rocked up…), designed by AMP featuring Sadra Tehrani, the stage and set played host to projections, lighting and props, somewhat minimal and simplistic in nature but highly effective, hypnotic and illusionary in effect.

As the actors blew us away with their delivery of lines so infamous and noted as to almost be a poisoned chalice (pun Shakespearean line from Macbeth most definitely intended), utterances such as, To be or not to be, Also poor Yorick, and The lady doth protest too much, were firmly owned by these worthy guardians.

Read more – Hamlet Hail to the Thief Cast : Hamlet Hail to the Thief – Factory International, Manchester

The regal world of gowns and gems gave way to the political world of suits in costumery and props, music speakers played their part in the sweeping choreography and things got real in moments of punchy (and comically timed) profanity, smoking and (as if you need it, spoiler alert) bloody scenes aplenty.

This 1 hour 45 minute straight-through production gave no literal let-up.

Something may have been rotten in the state of Denmark in Hamlet’s world that night, but there was only high-octane, spine-tingling, passionate performances and artistry in Manchester, as two artistic worlds collided before us.

A must-see.

Production photography – credit: Manuel Harlan.

Head to https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/hamlet-hail-to-the-thief/ for full details of cast, crew, details and tickets.

Hamlet Hail to the Thief is a co-production between the Royal Shakespeare Company and Factory International, running at Aviva Studios Home of Factory International, Manchester, until 18 May before transferring to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon from 4 June – 28 June.