A tragic tale of betrayal, revenge, and political intrigue, Hamlet has captivated audiences for generations—and it’s set to take on the BMO Mainstage in less than one month. In today’s Bard Blog post, meet the talented Acting Company bringing this iconic story to life this Season!
Last seen in our 2019 production of All’s Well that Ends Well, Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab returns for his fourth season at Bard, playing the young prince Hamlet until September 1, 2024. From there, Chirag Naik will take over as Hamlet for his fifth summer under the tents, his first since The Taming of the Shrew and Shakespeare in Love in 2019.
In the play, Hamlet returns home from school for his father’s funeral, only to learn that his uncle Claudius (Munish Sharma) has married his newly widowed mother Gertrude (Jennifer Clement), making Claudius the new King of Denmark. However, when Hamlet’s friend Horatio (Matthew Ip Shaw) brings news of a ghost that resembles the late King (Marcus Youssef) wandering the grounds of Elsinore, Hamlet starts to suspect that things may not be as they seem.
Kate Besworth will play Ophelia, marking her return to the BMO Mainstage after starring in last Season’s stirring adaptation of Henry V. Though Hamlet has been courting Ophelia for some time now, both Ophelia’s brother Laertes (Nathan Kay) and her father Polonius (Andrew Wheeler) warn her to steer clear of the young prince’s affections. Aidan Correia and Ivy Charles will play Hamlet’s old school friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who have been sent to cheer up a melancholic Hamlet who is not only continuing to grieve his father’s death—but who also seems to be growing more and more mad by the day.
Rounding out the Acting Company for Hamlet are Evelyn Chew as Ensemble/Paparazzi/Servant/Agent, Camille Legg as Ensemble/Servant/Agent, Anton Lipovetsky as Gravedigger/Marcellus/Player 2/Agent/Lord, and Christine Quintana as Osric/Player 3/Ensemble, with Charlie Gallant, Olivia Hutt, and Billy Marchenski as our incredible understudies.
To view all the Artist bios and headshots for this production, visit the Hamlet production page.
Get your tickets now to see these talented performers on the BMO Mainstage this summer!
Hamlet runs June 13 to September 20 on the BMO Mainstage. To buy your tickets, visit our Season Schedule.
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