The Donmar West End production of Hamlet, which stars Jude Law as the troubled Danish prince, will be hoping to recreate its London success when it transfers to New York this autumn.
Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, which continues its London run at the Wyndham’s theatre until 22 August, is to play a limited 12-week run at Broadway’s Broadhurst theatre from 12 September.
Law, whose performance in the central role was described by Telegraph theatre critic Charles Spencer as “deeply moving” and by the Evening Standard’s Henry Hitchings as “detailed and powerful and vividly personal”, is to transfer with the production, as will the rest of the Wyndham’s cast.
Hamlet’s Broadway transfer will mark Law’s first return to the Great White Way since his 1995 debut in Indiscretions, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. Since then, he has gone on to make a name for himself in Hollywood, starring in films including The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold Mountain, Closer and the upcoming The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus and Sherlock Holmes.
Michael Grandage, Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse and Hamlet director commented: “Following our recent productions of Frost/Nixon and Mary Stuart, I am delighted we have been invited to bring another of our productions to Broadway. We feel very privileged to be part of such a vibrant theatre community and it is exciting to think that so many people will get to engage with our work and to witness Jude Law’s extraordinary performance.”
The move will be particularly exciting for Law’s co-star Kevin R McNally, who plays Claudius. Speaking to Official London Theatre recently, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star admitted that appearing on Broadway was one of his ambitions. “I’ve never been on Broadway, and it would seem to me that persisting in doing very good theatre in London is certainly the way to do that,” McNally said, at the time not knowing he was closer to the truth than he thought.
Hamlet will arrive in America following the completion of its London run and a short season performing a special engagement at Elsinore Castle in Denmark, where the play is set.
MA