RSC to Open Major Tour Of Hamlet At Hall For Cornwall

The Royal Shakespeare Company will open their landmark UK tour of Rupert Goold’s Hamlet at the Cornwall Playhouse in a move that underlines the theatre’s position at the heart of the South West’s cultural offering.

The venue, which opened in 2021 after a £30m transformation of Hall for Cornwall (HfC) in Truro, has since welcomed close to 1m visitors year-round, drawing diverse audiences, sparking curiosity and joy in isolated communities and young people, and providing a shot in the arm to the region’s economy.

The announcement was made on St Piran’s Day in a Westminster reception by Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, who commented “‘I am very excited that the RSC have chosen Hall for Cornwall as the venue for the beginning of the Hamlet tour, signifying the importance of the arts in Cornwall and how it has and will continue to hold a special significance in Cornish life and culture.’. Kirkham was speaking at the event which brought together Cornwall’s six MPs alongside invited guests from across the sector.

Shakespeare’s epic family drama of deceit and murder is directed by multi award-winner Rupert Goold. The tour will open at the Cornwall Playhouse on 24 February 2026. Goold’s critically acclaimed production opened last month in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon and runs until 29 March 2025. Full casting for the UK 2026 tour is yet to be announced.

Talking about the announcement, HfC Creative Director & CEO Julien Boast said “We’re proud to see the spotlight fall on Cornwall. By welcoming back our close partners the RSC, we’re forging ahead with our vision to create and present diverse and important work on the Cornwall Playhouse stage for Cornish communities and young people.”

RSC Co-Artistic Directors Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans commented “We are delighted that Rupert Goold’s production of Hamlet - perhaps Shakespeare’s most famous play - will come to Cornwall in 2026. It promises to be a thrilling piece of theatre, and we can’t wait for Cornish audiences to see it.”

“Our long-term partnerships with HfC and the other regional theatres on the tour across England, are a central part of our mission to redefine experiences of Shakespeare’s work with and for young people and adults. We are excited that audiences in Cornwall alongside town and cities across

England will get to see this new production and have opportunities to deepen their connection to the play through participation work happening in and around each of the theatres.”

Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark. After the death of Hamlet’s father, his uncle, Claudius, marries his mother and takes the throne for himself. In one of the most famous scenes in Shakespeare, Hamlet’s father appears to the young prince as a ghost, telling his son that he was murdered by Claudius. Seeking vengeance, he wants Hamlet to kill Claudius, setting off a tragic chain of events.

Rupert Goold’s theatre credits include celebrated productions of Dear England (National Theatre), and Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice (RSC). In 2026 Rupert will take up the role of Artistic Director of The Old Vic after 13 years at the Almeida Theatre. He has received Olivier, Critics’ Circle and Evening Standard awards for Best Director twice and won a Peabody Award in 2011 for Macbeth. In 2017 he received a CBE in the New Year’s Honours for services to drama.

Joining Rupert on the creative team are: Sophie Drake (Revival Director), Es Devlin (Set Designer), Evie Gurney (Costume Designer), Jack Knowles (Lighting Designer), Adam Cork (Composer and Sound Designer), Hannes Langolf (Movement Director), Akhila Krishnan (Video Designer), Kev McCurdy (Fight Director); and Charlotte Sutton CDG (Casting Director).

The tour of Hamlet is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, which makes it possible for the RSC to expand its tour to work in partnership with more places across England.