This autumn, Giles Terera will play Hamlet in a landmark production at Chichester Festival Theatre, the first time the venue has staged Shakespeare’s tragedy in its own season.
Directed by Justin Audibert, the production opens at the Minerva Theatre on 6 September, running through to 4 October 2025. The creative team includes Lily Arnold (design), Ryan Day (lighting), Ed Clarke (sound), Lucy Cullingford (movement direction), Cristian Cardenas (fight direction), and Matilda James, CDG handling casting.
Audibert describes his approach as leaning into the psychological and political dimensions of Hamlet, exploring themes of generational transition and a leadership vacuum, as an older order clings to power.
Giles Terera — acclaimed for his stage and musical theatre work, including a celebrated Olivier award performance in Hamilton and Othello for the National Theatre — steps into one of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles. His Hamlet will be close in age to Claudius, emphasising a rivalry that extends beyond just political ambition. Terera has expressed excitement about the Minerva’s intimate setting, which he believes will bring the audience closer to Hamlet’s inner turmoil.
The cast includes:
- Ariyon Bakare as Claudius
- Keir Charles as Polonius
- Eve Ponsonby as Ophelia
- Sara Powell as Gertrude
- Ryan Hutton as Laertes
- Others in the company include Sam Swann (Horatio), Geoff Aymer (Old Hamlet / Player King), and several newcomers.
Audibert has said that this Hamlet will feel like a thriller in places, with pacing that reflects both the internal and external pressures on the prince.
Significance
- For Chichester Festival Theatre, this marks the first time it is mounting Hamlet in its own production history.
- Tickets start from accessible price points; younger audiences (ages 16-30) can access “Prologue” offers to encourage new theatregoers.
- The production promises to bring psychological intensity, political undercurrents, and personal grief to the fore rather than relying on spectacle.