As Radiohead teams up with the Royal Shakespeare Company for a bold new take on Hamlet, a journey to the play’s real-life setting in Denmark adds fresh depth to the timeless tragedy.
A chill wind sweeps across the Resound Sound as I stand on a platform facing Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark, with Sweden visible across the water. At one end of the platform, a bright red guard post sits beside a row of cannons pointed toward the strait. But I’m not here for the panoramic view—I’m searching for ghosts.
This windswept location is the very spot where Hamlet begins. Here, under cover of night, guards Francisco and Bernardo exchange posts and speak of the ghost of Hamlet’s father. Behind me looms the castle itself—a majestic Renaissance structure built in 1574, complete with turrets, a moat, and a lavish banqueting hall—the setting for much of the play’s dark intrigue.
This year, the Royal Shakespeare Company is bringing three distinct interpretations of Hamlet to the stage: a daring adaptation underscored by Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief (premiering 27 April); Fat Ham, a comic tragedy that reimagines the story in the American South (opening 15 August); and a classic version directed by Rupert Goold and starring Luke Thallon (debuting 8 February). It’s the first time the RSC has staged Hamlet since 2016.
“There’s something in the air right now that gives the play new relevance,” says Tamara Harvey, co-artistic director of the RSC, who explains that all three creative teams independently approached the company to stage their versions this year.
With its exploration of generational divides and shifting power structures—not to mention the infamous sense that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” hinting at a society whose foundations feel increasingly unstable—it’s easy to see why the play resonates so strongly today.
Today, there’s nothing remotely rotten about Helsingør—the modern-day Elsinore from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The sky is clear, the sun sparkles off a golden flag fluttering atop one of the castle’s turrets. I’m on a guided tour with castle host Louise Older Steffensen, tracing Kronborg’s connections to Hamlet. As we walk through echoing stone corridors and into the grand ballroom—its checkered floor and soaring wooden ceiling lending it an air of timeless grandeur—Steffensen tells me that although there’s no proof Shakespeare ever visited the castle himself, he was certainly familiar with it.
“We have records showing that Shakespeare’s colleagues performed here,” she explains. “Actors like Thomas Pope, George Bryan, and William Kempe spent a season entertaining the Danish king. After returning to England, they helped form the Lord Chamberlain’s Men—Shakespeare’s own theatre company.”
They likely carried stories back with them of life inside these walls. One vivid detail even makes it into the play: a celebratory toast followed by the sound of a kettle drum, trumpet, and cannon fire—a tradition once observed at Kronborg.
In a softly lit room adjacent to the grand ballroom, original tapestries from the castle’s heyday are on display. Woven with gilded threads, they depict legendary kings in grand, mythological scenes. Long, heavy curtains still drape the queen’s bedchamber and other rooms, softening the sandstone walls, muting footsteps, and adding a touch of warmth—not to mention creating the perfect setting for intrigue and drama.
Exploring Kronborg feels like stepping into Hamlet itself. Walking through the gallery where silk gowns once rustled or entering the beautifully preserved chapel evokes a strong sense of theatrical immersion. The castle embraces this connection, offering immersive experiences like Hamlet-themed murder mystery tours in summer and eerie Hallowe’en tours through the shadowy basements in autumn. While no one has yet claimed to see the ghost of Hamlet’s father, castle host Louise Older Steffensen and other guides admit there have been reports of paranormal encounters.
More historical context reveals just how significant Kronborg was to Shakespeare’s world. In 1589, James I of England married Anne, the teenage princess of Denmark. When Elizabeth I died in 1603, and James became king, Anne became Queen of England.
“The first quarto of Hamlet, published early in 1603, is set in Denmark,” Steffensen explains, “but it doesn’t mention any specific locations. After Anne becomes queen, we start seeing references to this very castle.”
That same year, King James became patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, which was renamed from The Lord Chamberlain’s Men to The King’s Men. With a Danish queen on the English throne, Anne’s childhood home gained prominence—earning Kronborg a starring role in the play.
Climbing to the top of the cannon tower—an expansive flat space on one corner of the castle—we take in sweeping views across the moat, past yellow barracks buildings, and out over the town. In one of those former barracks, once an infirmary and now the headquarters of Helsingør’s Shakespeare Festival, I learn more about Hamlet‘s enduring presence in the town.
Lars Romann Engel, CEO and artistic director of HamletScenen, the professional theatre company based at the castle, greets me in a gallery-like hallway lined with portraits of Hamlet actors through the ages. In this visual roll call of legends, black-and-white headshots of Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, Sir John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi, David Tennant, Richard Burton, and Christopher Plummer fill the walls and stairwell.
Hamlet helped redefine Helsingør’s identity after the decline of its shipbuilding industry in the 1980s. The municipality reimagined the UNESCO-listed Kronborg Castle as a cultural landmark, eventually establishing a full-scale theatre company. Engel went on to launch the annual Shakespeare Festival, held each August at the castle. The event has showcased a wide range of Hamlet interpretations—from Spaghetti Western adaptations and dark German productions by experimental theatre company Schaubühne to a sold-out performance starring Jude Law.
In addition to Hamlet, the festival usually stages a lighter Shakespearean play each year—often featuring music and complemented by other events. Both productions are performed outdoors, with the dramatic silhouette of Kronborg Castle as their backdrop. Tickets tend to sell out well in advance, and it’s common for audience members to arrive with picnic baskets in hand, making for a festive atmosphere.
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Lars Romann Engel, a trained theatre director, helmed a highly acclaimed production of Hamlet in 2008, staged in the castle’s courtyard amidst its weathered stone and decaying walls. A young Claes Bang played Rosenkrantz in that atmospheric version. The success of the production, along with support from the local municipality, led to the creation of the Shakespeare Festival, which Engel has directed and managed for the past 17 years.
“When you see Hamlet here, you’re stepping directly into the myth,” Engel says. “You’re standing at the very heart of the story. It’s something truly unique—this is the place the play was written for.”
