Set in 1582, “Hamnet” follows Agnes Hathaway, a natural healer who meets the Latin tutor,and they create a life together and make a family. As Shakespeare moves to London to discover his place in the world of theater, Hathaway stays at home to raise their three children. 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.
“Hamnet,” produced by the RSC and Neal Street Productions, in association with Hera Pictures, is adapted byThe production will feature set and costume design by Tom Piper, lighting by Prema Mehta, sound by Xana, music by Oğuz Kaplangi, casting by Amy Ball CDG, movement by Ayse Tashkiran and fights by Kate Waters.
There are limited facts about Agnes/Anne Hathaway but I love playing with history and fiction and moulding them together so that one informs the other. It is a great privilege to look at the Shakespeares through my detailed research and personal lens. This woman behind the playwright is a fascinating character and after studying Maggie’s book, it is clear to me now that her son was the inspiration for one of our greatest pieces of English literature.
so iconic of her