RSC's Hamlet starring Paapa Essiedu to play London and tour

The RSC's critically acclaimed production of Hamlet, starring Paapa Essiedu in the titular role, will tour next year before transferring to Hackney Empire.

The tour will commence at The Lowry in Salford from 26 January to 3 February 2018, and continues to Plymouth, Hull, Newcastle and Northampton. It will then run at the Hackney Empire from 6 to 31 March 2018.

Directed by Simon Godwin, the production will see Essiedu reprise his highly praised performance as Hamlet, with further casting to be announced.

Read our review of last year's production here

Essiedu won Best Performance in a Play at the UK Theatre Awards in 2016 for his role. His other RSC credits include Edmund in King Lear and Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Further stage credits include King Lear (National Theatre) and Romeo and Juliet (Tobacco Factory).

Talking about the revival of his production, Godwin said: "I’m delighted that Hamlet will be touring in 2018. Paapa Essiedu is British with Ghanaian heritage. When Paapa and I talked about the production, I realised how radical it might be to see Denmark through the lens of a completely different culture, a culture that Paapa himself had experienced.

"I began to imagine a Denmark re-conceived as a modern state influenced by the ritual, traditions and beauty of west Africa. So, our setting is full of the colour, emotional intensity and passion associated with that part of the world."

Hamlet will run at The Lowry from 26 January to 3 February 2018, before touring and finishing at the Hackney Empire from 6 to 31 March 2018.