Hamlet, Starring Ian McKellen, Begins Rehearsals with New Safety Policies

With extensive testing going on to keep audiences and actors safe in the wake of COVID-19 as well as innovative new ways of staging being developed, efforts are being made so that curtains can rise again. A new production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, starring Ian McKellen and directed by Sean Mathias, is scheduled to begin rehearsals on June 29. In this "age-blind interpretation of the young prince," McKellen will take on the title role. Performance dates will be announced later as the production navigates safety procedures.

Produced by Bill Kenwright, Hamlet will kick off Mathias’ inaugural season at Theatre Royal Windsor and will be followed by Martin Sherman’s adaptation of Anton Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard, with McKellen as Firs, the elderly manservant.

Rehearsals will have strict measures in place to ensure the safety of the company. The schedule will be carefully choreographed around social distancing, screening, hygiene and personal protection equipment, with close adherence to the latest government guidelines. There will be a daily review of the protection protocol based on practical considerations learned in the rehearsal room. 

McKellen is a six-time Olivier winner for Richard III, Wild Honey, Bent, The Alchemist and Pillars of the Community, along with the Oliviers' Society of London Theatre Special Award. He is a Tony winner for Amadeus. His Broadway credits also include Wild Honey, Dance of Death, Waiting for Godot and No Man's Land. He is also a five-time Emmy nominee and a two-time Academy Award nominee. Known for appearing alongside No Man's Land and Waiting for Godot co-star Patrick Stewart in the X-Men movies, he last appeared on the big screen in the 2019 film adaptation of Cats.

In addition to McKellen, the cast will include Ben Allen, Emmanuella Cole, Alis Wyn Davies, Oli Higginson, Nick Howard-Brown, Jonathan Hyde, Asif Khan, Missy Malek and Jenny Seagrove.

“I feel lucky to be working again, thanks to Bill Kenwright’s inspiring optimism and Sean Mathias’s invitation to re-examine Hamlet, 50 years on from my first go," McKellen said in a statement. "So now we will meet again. Don’t know when, but do know where: Theatre Royal Windsor!”