US Premiere

Hamnet, son of William Shakespeare, steps out from the shadow created by his famous father in the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's best-selling novel, making its US premiere at Chicago's Shakespeare Theatre in winter 2026. Adapted by Lola Chakrabarti, Hamnet gives a voice to one of Shakespeare's greatest lost creations, through his own eyes and those of his oft-forgotten mother, Agnes.

Hamnet

Dying at 11 years old in 1596 in Stratford whilst his father was enjoying the height of his fame in London, scholars speculate that Hamnet likely didn't get to know his famous father very well, a theme that can be picked up on in Shakespeare's later writings. When Hamlet was published in 1599, it was widely thought that the name was a tribute to his late son.

With little known about the real child, Maggie O'Farrell's book creates a lyrical narrative for Hamnet that explores his short life, and those of the women around him.