A man's head and shoulders rise from a sea of rough, churning water; rain is pouring down on him. He stares into the distance, his face illuminated by a shaft of light. He has dark hair and a moustache.
A man's head and shoulders rise from a sea of rough, churning water; rain is pouring down on him. He stares into the distance, his face illuminated by a shaft of light. He has dark hair and a moustache.

About Hamlet

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

The death of his father, the king, turns Hamlet’s world upside down. Stunned by the horrifying secrets revealed, he loses all trust in the people closest to him.

Amidst a maelstrom of grief, suspicion and doubt, he embarks on a profound journey of self-discovery in which the betrayal of friends and family – and the decay at the heart of the state – are laid bare.

Justin Audibert, Artistic Director of CFT, directs Chichester’s first ever production of Shakespeare’s supreme tragedy.

Giles Terera, winner of an Olivier Award for Hamilton (West End), and Critics’ Circle Best Actor Award for Blues for an Alabama Sky and the title role in Othello at the National Theatre, plays Hamlet.

The company also includes Ariyon Bakare  (Mr Loverman, His Dark Materials) as Claudius; Keir Charles (Quiz, South Pacific CFT) as Polonius; Ryan Hutton (Only Fools and Horses West End, A Midsummer Night's Dream RSC) as Laertes; Eve Ponsonby (The Stepmother CFT, Miss Austen) as Ophelia; Sara Powell (The Seagull West End, Damned) as Gertrude; Tim Preston (First Light CFT, The Seven Dials Mystery) as Rosencrantz; Jay Saighal (Imperium RSC, Mission Impossible) as Guildenstern; and Sam Swann (The Comedy of Errors Shakespeare's Globe, One Day) as Horatio.

Cast and creatives

  • Giles Terera

    Hamlet
  • Ozzy Aigbomian

    Fortinbras
  • David Angland

    Osric
  • Nana Amoo-Gottfried

    Marcellus
  • Geoff Aymer

    Old Hamlet / Player King
  • Ariyon Bakare

    Claudius
  • Keir Charles

    Polonius
  • Simon Darwen

    Barnardo
  • Beatie Edney

    Player Queen / Gravedigger One
  • Nick Howard-Brown

    Voltemand
  • Ryan Hutton

    Laertes
  • Eve Ponsonby

    Ophelia
  • Sara Powell

    Gertrude
  • Tim Preston

    Rosencrantz
  • Jay Saighal

    Guildenstern
  • Sam Swann

    Horatio
  • Justin Audibert

    Role
    Director
  • Lily Arnold

    Role
    Designer
  • Ryan Day

    Role
    Lighting Designer
  • Jonathan Girling

    Role
    Composer
  • Ed Clarke

    Role
    Sound Designer
  • Lucy Cullingford

    Role
    Movement Director
  • Cristian Cardenas

    Role
    Fight Director
  • Matilda James CDG

    Role
    Casting Director
  • Stephen Kemble

    Role
    Voice & Dialect Coach
  • Becca Chadder

    Role
    Assistant Director
  • John Page

    Role
    Production Manager
  • Isobel Pellow

    Role
    Costume Supervisor
  • Melanie Bouvet

    Role
    WHAM Supervisor
  • Sharon Foley

    Role
    Props Supervisor
  • Suzi Blakey

    Role
    Company Stage Manager
  • Rob Le Maistre

    Role
    Deputy Stage Manager
  • Roma Radford

    Role
    Assistant Stage Manager

We want you to feel welcome and comfortable at CFT. You’ll find further guidance on content here; please be aware that by reading this, elements of the plot may be revealed. Please note that this may be updated nearer the time of the production as staging details are confirmed.

If you have any questions or feedback, or would like further information, do email us at hello@cft.org.uk

Content and themes

Shakespeare’s play contains depictions of violence and murder; references to death by drowning and suicide; and reflections on mortality, revenge, adultery, bereavement and grief.