Page 124 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

Erica Whyman, acting artistic director of the RSC, will direct an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s

Hamnet. Photograph: RSC

An inspired choice for the RSC. Lolita Chakrabarti, author of the revelatory Red
Velvet and the stage version of Life of Pi, has adapted Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, named
after Shakespeare’s son, who died aged 11, perhaps from plague and was a possible
inspiration for Hamlet. The production, directed by Erica Whyman, will open at the
Swan in Stratford-upon-Avon on 1 April. It comes at a crucial point, as the company is
on the brink of change. From June, Daniel Evans, from Chichester’s Festival Theatre,
and Tamara Harvey, of Theatr Clwyd, will take over as artistic directors. The two, who
are regular collaborators, applied together for the post: announcements of their plans,
due in 2024, will be awaited eagerly. SCl