The Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel Hamnet, a tale of love and heartbreak concerning Agnes Hathaway and her beloved one William Shakespeare, has taken the unheralded step of announcing its West End transfer before it has has even opened in the famous playwright’s place of birth.
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The play, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti — whose version of Life of Pi is on Broadway — directed by Erica Whyman and starring Madeleine Mantock begins performances at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 1 through June 17.
Madeleine Mantock
But following a “tsunami” of interest from eager ticket buyers, the show will transfer after its run in Stratford to London’s Garrick Theatre for 14 weeks from September 30 through January 6.
If the phenomenal level of interest is maintained, then expect seats at the Garrick to be hard to come by after they go on priority sale from March 28, with public booking from April 6.
The plain fact is that O’Farrell’s engrossing novel has sold more than 1.5 million copies and has fans on every continent.
Her story of the plain-speaking, free-spirited Agnes Hathaway; her relationship with Shakespeare; the heartbreaking death of Hamnet, their 11-year-old son; and how that tragedy inspired the Bard to write Hamlet; touched a nerve coming out as it did during the pandemic. “It’s totally a love story, it’s very romantic,” Chakrabarti told us.
‘Hamnet’ director Erica Whyman
Also, Chakrabarti continued: “Shakespeare is endlessly fascinating because we are trying to work out who was the man behind these amazing pieces of work, but Maggie O’Farrell’s book asks: Who was the family behind him? Anne, or Agnes, Hathaway has had a pretty bad press, and this redresses some of those injustices.”
Whyman had a “hunch”the RSC ought to put it on stage the minute she’d finished reading it because it dealt “so beautifully with bereavement and love.”
That love, Whyman observed, “carried Shakespeare to some of the most remarkable achievements of his life, notably writing Hamlet.”
Liza Marshall’s Hera Pictures already had acquired an option, and the movie’s in development with Neal Street Productions, founded by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling, and Amblin Partners. Chiara Atik is writing the screenplay.
Lolita Chakrabarti. Courtesy RSC.
However, O’Farrell and Neal Street had a keenness for it to be staged in Stratford, so agreements were struck with the RSC for Neal Street, in association with Hera Pictures, to allow a theater version that would be separate from the movie. Amblin has been supporting the stage adaptation enthusiastically.
O’Farrell has been giving “hands-on” attention to both the screenplay and the stage play, Newling said.
Newling admitted that “it’s unusual” to “shout about” transferring before you’ve opened, but “there was this tsunami of interest, and we were never going to satisfy the extraordinary level of interest during the run at the Swan alone. There is such demand for this title,” she added.
Maggie O’Farrell. Courtesy RSC.
The play’s a terrific opportunity for Mantock, who made her debut in a recent revival of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit directed by Richard Eyre.
Whyman, Chakrabarti and Newling all spoke of their excitement in finding Mantock, heaping casting director Amy Ball with praise.
“It’s simple,” said Whyman “She has got really old-fashioned star quality but at the same time has got her feet firmly on the ground. Agnes is a hard-working, fearless woman who knows her own mind, and so does Madeleine.”
For the Nottinghamshire-born Mantock, Agnes is a “giant role” for her. “It does feel like the role of a lifetime. I don’t know if I’ll get this opportunity again, so I’m very grateful.”
The cast got to meet O’Farrell during rehearsals, and Mantock remembers the novelist telling the company “that ‘not every person in history is remembered kindly and sometimes they are misremembered,’ and I think we all felt lucky to have a responsibility to look at how we might choose to see Anne Hathaway this time.”
Mantock said that “there’s a lot of pain and loss and grief, but there’s also the love, the joy and the hope. And you have to feel all of those things … that’s what life is.”
She noted the advantages of having Chakrabarti at rehearsals, plus, if needs be, “if we get a bit stumped and we don’t know which way to go with something, we can go to the book. We’ve got this amazing resource.”
So first the Swan Theatre, followed by a season at the Garrick in the West End. The phenomenon of Hamnet is unlikely to end there.
There’s Broadway and beyond.
Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon
The cast also includes Tom Vary as William and Sarah Belcher, Will Brown, Haydn Burke, Ajani Cabey, Faye Campbell, Frankie Hastings, Karl Haynes, Alex Jarrett, Hannah McPake, Elizabeth Rider, Rose Riley, Harmony Rose-Bremner, Obioma Ugoala and Peter Wight.
Creatives includes Tom Piper design and Prema Mehta lighting.
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The play, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti — whose version of Life of Pi is on Broadway — directed by Erica Whyman and starring Madeleine Mantock begins performances at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 1 through June 17.
Madeleine Mantock
But following a “tsunami” of interest from eager ticket buyers, the show will transfer after its run in Stratford to London’s Garrick Theatre for 14 weeks from September 30 through January 6.
If the phenomenal level of interest is maintained, then expect seats at the Garrick to be hard to come by after they go on priority sale from March 28, with public booking from April 6.
The plain fact is that O’Farrell’s engrossing novel has sold more than 1.5 million copies and has fans on every continent.
Her story of the plain-speaking, free-spirited Agnes Hathaway; her relationship with Shakespeare; the heartbreaking death of Hamnet, their 11-year-old son; and how that tragedy inspired the Bard to write Hamlet; touched a nerve coming out as it did during the pandemic. “It’s totally a love story, it’s very romantic,” Chakrabarti told us.
‘Hamnet’ director Erica Whyman
Also, Chakrabarti continued: “Shakespeare is endlessly fascinating because we are trying to work out who was the man behind these amazing pieces of work, but Maggie O’Farrell’s book asks: Who was the family behind him? Anne, or Agnes, Hathaway has had a pretty bad press, and this redresses some of those injustices.”
Whyman had a “hunch”the RSC ought to put it on stage the minute she’d finished reading it because it dealt “so beautifully with bereavement and love.”
That love, Whyman observed, “carried Shakespeare to some of the most remarkable achievements of his life, notably writing Hamlet.”
Liza Marshall’s Hera Pictures already had acquired an option, and the movie’s in development with Neal Street Productions, founded by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling, and Amblin Partners. Chiara Atik is writing the screenplay.
Lolita Chakrabarti. Courtesy RSC.
However, O’Farrell and Neal Street had a keenness for it to be staged in Stratford, so agreements were struck with the RSC for Neal Street, in association with Hera Pictures, to allow a theater version that would be separate from the movie. Amblin has been supporting the stage adaptation enthusiastically.
O’Farrell has been giving “hands-on” attention to both the screenplay and the stage play, Newling said.
Newling admitted that “it’s unusual” to “shout about” transferring before you’ve opened, but “there was this tsunami of interest, and we were never going to satisfy the extraordinary level of interest during the run at the Swan alone. There is such demand for this title,” she added.
Maggie O’Farrell. Courtesy RSC.
The play’s a terrific opportunity for Mantock, who made her debut in a recent revival of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit directed by Richard Eyre.
Whyman, Chakrabarti and Newling all spoke of their excitement in finding Mantock, heaping casting director Amy Ball with praise.
“It’s simple,” said Whyman “She has got really old-fashioned star quality but at the same time has got her feet firmly on the ground. Agnes is a hard-working, fearless woman who knows her own mind, and so does Madeleine.”
For the Nottinghamshire-born Mantock, Agnes is a “giant role” for her. “It does feel like the role of a lifetime. I don’t know if I’ll get this opportunity again, so I’m very grateful.”
The cast got to meet O’Farrell during rehearsals, and Mantock remembers the novelist telling the company “that ‘not every person in history is remembered kindly and sometimes they are misremembered,’ and I think we all felt lucky to have a responsibility to look at how we might choose to see Anne Hathaway this time.”
Mantock said that “there’s a lot of pain and loss and grief, but there’s also the love, the joy and the hope. And you have to feel all of those things … that’s what life is.”
She noted the advantages of having Chakrabarti at rehearsals, plus, if needs be, “if we get a bit stumped and we don’t know which way to go with something, we can go to the book. We’ve got this amazing resource.”
So first the Swan Theatre, followed by a season at the Garrick in the West End. The phenomenon of Hamnet is unlikely to end there.
There’s Broadway and beyond.
Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon
The cast also includes Tom Vary as William and Sarah Belcher, Will Brown, Haydn Burke, Ajani Cabey, Faye Campbell, Frankie Hastings, Karl Haynes, Alex Jarrett, Hannah McPake, Elizabeth Rider, Rose Riley, Harmony Rose-Bremner, Obioma Ugoala and Peter Wight.
Creatives includes Tom Piper design and Prema Mehta lighting.
- 3/21/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Madeleine Mantock is leaving “Charmed” after three seasons, Variety has confirmed.
The actress has played one of the three main characters of the CW reboot since it began. Season 3 of the series is set to wrap up on July 23, which will mark Mantock’s last appearance as a series regular. Melonie Diaz and Sarah Jeffery remain with the series. Rupert Evans, Poppy Drayton and Jordan Donica also star.
“Playing Macy on ‘Charmed’ for the last three seasons has been an immense privilege and I have so enjoyed working with our fantastic producers, creatives, cast and crew,” Mantock said in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful to The CW and CBS Studios for my time on the show and for being a brilliant support in my difficult decision to leave. Huge thanks to our fans who can look forward to, what I know will be, a spectacular fourth season.”
Mantock previously...
The actress has played one of the three main characters of the CW reboot since it began. Season 3 of the series is set to wrap up on July 23, which will mark Mantock’s last appearance as a series regular. Melonie Diaz and Sarah Jeffery remain with the series. Rupert Evans, Poppy Drayton and Jordan Donica also star.
“Playing Macy on ‘Charmed’ for the last three seasons has been an immense privilege and I have so enjoyed working with our fantastic producers, creatives, cast and crew,” Mantock said in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful to The CW and CBS Studios for my time on the show and for being a brilliant support in my difficult decision to leave. Huge thanks to our fans who can look forward to, what I know will be, a spectacular fourth season.”
Mantock previously...
- 7/19/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix has set the cast for Shondaland’s Bridgerton. Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page lead the cast of the eight-episode series, which also includes Golda Rosheuvel, Jonathan Bailey, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan, Ruby Barker, Sabrina Bartlett, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh (Thunderbirds Are A Go) and Polly Walker. They join Julie Andrews, who voices the pivotal character of Lady Whistledown, in the hourlong period series based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling series of novels, which is slated to premiere in 2020.
This marks a return to Shondaland for Page, coming off a co-starring role on the company’s legal drama For The People, which ran on ABC for two seasons.
Created by Scandal veteran Chris Van Dusen,...
This marks a return to Shondaland for Page, coming off a co-starring role on the company’s legal drama For The People, which ran on ABC for two seasons.
Created by Scandal veteran Chris Van Dusen,...
- 7/10/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
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