Hamlet
after William Shakespeare
directed by Ivo Van Hove
translated by Frédéric Boyer
adaptation Ivo Van Hove and Bart Van den Eynde
Odéon
Odéon
Hamlet
2026-01-21 00:00:00 2026-03-14 00:00:00
After his adaptation of Visconti’s "The Damned", "Électre / Oreste" after Euripides and Molière’s "Tartuffe or The Impostor", Ivo Van Hove is back working with the Troupe – and on Shakespeare – for a new adaptation of one of the Bard’s greatest tragedies.
The production revolves around Hamlet’s viewpoint, as a “young man who must face the trauma caused by the sudden, unexpected death of his father – the King of Denmark and therefore a hero, model and moral compass all at once – and his mother’s wedding to his uncle, the throne’s usurper, a mere few weeks after the father died.”
As soon as the play begins, the prologue discloses the young man’s troubled thoughts to the audience, giving constant access to them throughout the performance. Scene after scene, the viewers are witnesses to the struggle within Hamlet’s bursting head and heart, while the young man becomes persuaded that theatre is the weapon which will allow him to expose betrayals and discover the truth. Yet everything turns out to be pure and raw reality: theatre is not enough to change the world, and yearning for revenge becomes the absolute priority.
Ivo Van Hove is tackling one of his favourite subjects: the path of a young person descending into utterviolence. He worked with a reduced number of performers, with some of them playing several roles, adding to the main character’s confusion, resulting in a pared-down, raw production of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
NEW PRODUCTION
Translated by Frédéric Boyer
Adapted by Ivo Van Hove and Bart Van den Eynd
A Comédie-Française / Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe joint production
BOOKING OPENS IN LATE SEPTEMBER 25
Creative team
Adaptation: Ivo Van Hove and Bart Van den Eynde
Direction: Ivo Van Hove
Translation: Frédéric Boyer
Distribution
the company
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Florence
See biography
Viala -
Denis
See biography
Podalydès -
Guillaume
See biography
Gallienne -
Loïc
See biography
Corbery -
Christophe
See biography
Montenez -
Jean
See biography
Chevalier -
Élissa
See biography
Alloula
