I cannot talk about Hamlet Hail to the Thief without talking about the music. Admittedly, perhaps because of where I was sitting, some of the first sounds, particularly the sound mixing, seemed slightly off, with vocals harder to hear, but the balance was fixed quickly.

The music is all performed live, and within the stage design the band are shown in small, contained boxes on stage. The band includes Tom Brady as music supervisor, Ed Begley on vocals, Jenny Clifford and Adam Martin on guitar, Joe Downard on bass guitar, Shane Forbes on drums, Meg Hill on vocals, and Tom Knowles as associate music supervisor and on keys. The vocals, especially between Hill and Begley, were incredibly haunting, and watching the band get riled up as the action increased shows the joy of having live musicians on stage. Some of my favourite songs in the piece included “There There” and “Sail to the Moon,” the latter sung beautifully by an uncompromising Ami Tredrea as Ophelia.

I would consider myself an average Radiohead fan. But if you love their music, this piece will feel like a real treat. The moody, bleak, and ghostly record complements the state of Denmark well. For this staged production, the music was reworked by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, and it blends well even beyond the tracks themselves. For instance, the signature handclaps in “We Suck Young Blood” accompany Claudius and Gertrude’s introduction, showing how order works in this universe. The music is the biggest draw, and the parallels only highlight the war that features in both works. This element of fear and control is punched up by sharp, cutting choreography by Jess Williams. The contrast between the sharp lines, the moments of shaking on the ground and total loss, and the opening free, flirty, and playful dance between Hamlet and Ophelia was exciting to watch.

It is an electric show, with a cast to match. Paul Hilton is formidable as Claudius, with mad hair and a power trip in his new role as king. His main opponent is Samuel Blenkin as Hamlet. Hamlet is a tricky role: he is not likeable, but Blenkin walks the fine line of showing us that, yes, Hamlet is a bit of an arse, while we still understand that he is very young, reckless, put in a difficult position, and unsupported in his grief. There are also credible performances from Alby Baldwin as Horatio, who is earnest and caring, and from Miles Barrow as Rosencrantz and Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern, both of whom make the most of their reduced stage time.