“In Hamnet, Shakespeare’s wife takes the spotlight, at last… adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s hit novel gives voice and agency to a historical character we know little about.
FEB 10–MAR 8, 2026
Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti
Directed by Erica Whyman
The Yard
The Royal Shakespeare Company and Neal Street Productions present
Maggie O’Farrell’s
Maggie O’Farrell’s
Hamnet
Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti
Directed by Erica Whyman
The Yard
Run Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (including intermission)
Audience Notice: Mature themes including scenes of domestic violence, child loss and grief, scenes of childbirth, and depictions of sexual activity.
“Elegant and beguiling”
Warwickshire, 1582. Agnes Hathaway, a natural healer, meets the Latin tutor, William Shakespeare. Drawn together by powerful but hidden impulses, they create a life together and make a family. When the plague steals 11-year-old Hamnet from his loving parents, they must each confront their loss alone. And yet, out of the greatest suffering, something of extraordinary wonder is born. Experience the US premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Hymn, Life of Pi, Red Velvet), and directed by Erica Whyman. Pulling back a curtain on the story of the greatest writer in the English language and the woman who was the constant presence and purpose of his life, Hamnet is a love letter to passion, birth, grief, and the magic of nature.
RSC co-Artistic Directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey shared, “We are delighted to be returning to Chicago Shakespeare Theater where we were welcomed so warmly when we brought Shakespeare’s Pericles to audiences on Navy Pier last year, marking the RSC’s first visit to the city in 30 years. It’s wonderful to be coming back in 2026 with Lolita Chakrabarti’s beautiful adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, which offers a compelling new perspective on Shakespeare through the eyes of Agnes Hathaway and their children. We can’t wait to share this intimate and moving story with US audiences.”
Playwright Lolita Chakrabarti added, “I am so excited to bring Hamnet to CST. As a theater steeped in Shakespeare and new work, this play offers both in one show. Hamnet brings to life the Shakespeare family—William, his sister and their parents, Agnes, his wife, and their three children. You will see why William went to London and discovered the theater, how his family lived without him and how the profound loss of a child gave us one of the most important plays in the western world. Hamnet is a heartwarming and heartbreaking exploration of family, loss, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.”
February 2026
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
7:00 PM / Tuesday , Feb 10
7:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 11
7:00 PM / Thursday , Feb 12
7:00 PM / Friday , Feb 13
2:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 14
7:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 14
2:00 PM / Sunday , Feb 15
16
7:00 PM / Tuesday , Feb 17
1:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 18
7:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 18
7:00 PM / Thursday , Feb 19
7:00 PM / Friday , Feb 20
2:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 21
7:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 21
2:00 PM / Sunday , Feb 22
23
7:00 PM / Tuesday , Feb 24
1:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 25
7:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 25
7:00 PM / Thursday , Feb 26
7:00 PM / Friday , Feb 27
2:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 28
7:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 28
Tickets Available
Limited Availability
Multiple Performances
Sold Out
SUN, FEB 22 Audio Description
WED, FEB 25 Open Captioning
FRI, FEB 27 ASL Interpretation
Run Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (including intermission)
Audience Notice: Mature themes including scenes of domestic violence, child loss and grief, scenes of childbirth, and depictions of sexual activity.
February 2026
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
7:00 PM / Tuesday , Feb 10
7:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 11
7:00 PM / Thursday , Feb 12
7:00 PM / Friday , Feb 13
2:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 14
7:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 14
2:00 PM / Sunday , Feb 15
16
7:00 PM / Tuesday , Feb 17
1:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 18
7:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 18
7:00 PM / Thursday , Feb 19
7:00 PM / Friday , Feb 20
2:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 21
7:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 21
2:00 PM / Sunday , Feb 22
23
7:00 PM / Tuesday , Feb 24
1:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 25
7:00 PM / Wednesday , Feb 25
7:00 PM / Thursday , Feb 26
7:00 PM / Friday , Feb 27
2:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 28
7:00 PM / Saturday , Feb 28
Tickets Available
Limited Availability
Multiple Performances
Sold Out
SUN, FEB 22 Audio Description
WED, FEB 25 Open Captioning
FRI, FEB 27 ASL Interpretation
SUN, FEB 22 Audio Description
WED, FEB 25 Open Captioning
FRI, FEB 27 ASL Interpretation
“Pure theatre gold”
“The evening soars and sears”