Sam Blenkin, the rising star known for his roles in Alien: Earth and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, is taking on one of theatre's most iconic roles in a bold new production at the Barbican. The show, Hamlet Hail to the Thief, melds Shakespeare's Danish prince with Radiohead's satirical album of the same name.
The production, which debuted to acclaim in Manchester last year, is a reinterpretation of the classic play. Blenkin describes it as a "scalpel-cut one hour 40 minute version of the play interspersed with these unbelievable orchestrations that Thom Yorke has made of the Hail to the Thief album."
A New Take on a Classic Role
Blenkin, who usually plays "broken young people," was thrilled to take on the role of Hamlet, saying "I was thrilled they trusted me to deliver this sinister bravado." The actor acknowledges the weight of the role, noting "you have this hall of ghosts behind you of great actors," but says his "massive insecurity" was dealt with in the rehearsal room.
"We say we're lifting the curse off, the weight of history, which opened up the role to be more playful and surprising," he told the London Standard.
From Harry Potter to the Barbican
The 30-year-old actor from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire found his break in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, where "they needed actors who looked 15, which I did then, and still do now." He later appeared in Donald Glover's Atlanta, which he credits with shaping his creative approach.
"It was the first room I went into where the best idea is the idea that wins," he said. "We were improvising and coming up with some ridiculous things."
Collaborating with Thom Yorke
That collaborative spirit even led Blenkin to make suggestions to Radiohead's Thom Yorke during rehearsals. He recalled working on "To be or not to be" and feeling "there was an unhelpful clash" in the music, so he "plucked up the courage to voice this to Thom."
"He took about 10 minutes with the band, didn't say what he was going to do and then we started again. Halfway through this shift in the music happened that just electrified me. It was extraordinary, he is extremely collaborative," Blenkin said.
Hamlet Hail to the Thief runs at the Barbican from October 31 to January 23.
