A contemporary classic: 'Hamlet' at the National Theatre review

Bomber jackets and 90s collars might not be the most conventional attire for breaking the hearts of Danish noblewomen, but boy, do the cast of the National Theatre's Hamlet make it look good, both on stage and now on screen as of 22nd January 2026.

Hiran Abeysekera as the titular Hamlet is a phenomenal casting choice; he embodies the erratic and grief-stricken prince with ferocity and excitement. Geoffrey Streatfeild as Polonius plays into the overt and comical nature of the character, emphasising the physical comedy and even pulling out a ukulele and performing a song! 

Ophelia (Francesca Mills) stood out most for me as her delivery and emotional portrayal of Ophelia allows her to truly grapple with the grief and anger of her character, especially after the death of her Father, as she becomes a ghostly shell of herself. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment she was on the stage, and she brought the perfect balance of comedy and tragedy to the performance.

As noted in other reviews of this production, I do agree that Hamlet's famous monologue did feel rushed and lacked any pauses or emphasis and that Claudius (Alistair Petrie) and Gertrude (Ayesha Dharker) fail to engage in enough emotional tension despite Hamlet's desperate pleas to make her see who murdered his father.

The costume design (Ben Stone) and contemporary spin are incredibly well done, and they do not feel garish or out of place. I think this is a result of the simplistic set design, which has split reviewers, as it can be deemed too simple for the grand scale of the plot of Hamlet. It is often a complaint that when pulling a Shakespearean text into a modern context, it can feel sloppy or incongruous, but this production has been constructed carefully to avoid that.

I also thought that the score was excellent, especially during the performance by the players and the reveal of Claudius' guilt and as the tensions rise, so does the overture, culminating in the exit of Claudius and the reveal of his crimes to Hamlet.

I would recommend this performance for both experienced theatre goers and those who are not as familiar with Shakespearean texts alike, and I do feel as if this will become a great resource for introducing Shakespeare to modern audiences.

I will, however, be ordering Hamlet’s Blockbuster Video jumper ASAP.  

Hamlet will be coming to cinemas on 22nd January 2026, and it is absolutely worth seeing.