“Hamnet” reviewed by Frank Meccia

****/**** There is something thrilling about walking into a theatre knowing almost nothing about a production except its title and pedigree. That was my experience with Hamnet at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. What I discovered over the next two and a half hours was not just a play, but a deeply moving portrait of love, grief, and the private life of William Shakespeare.

Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell and adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti, this production is sheer theatrical magic. It tells Shakespeare’s story not from his perspective, but through the eyes of his wife, Agnes — and in doing so, it illuminates the emotional roots of his later tragedies.
Before anything else, I must praise the extraordinary set design by Tom Piper. The multifunctional wooden plank structure is nothing short of brilliant. With subtle shifts of timber and planks, the stage transforms seamlessly from a rustic country home to an A-frame interior to the bustling Globe Theatre. It is imaginative, fluid, and constantly engaging — a perfect visual metaphor for memory and time.

At the heart of the play is Agnes, portrayed with emotional depth and quiet strength by Kemi-Bo Jacobs. She begins as a sharp, intuitive teenager who falls in love with William, played by Rory Alexander. Agnes is depicted as a Seer — a woman attuned to voices, nature, and holistic medicine. In another time, she might have been labeled a witch, but here she is a fiercely devoted wife and mother, grounded in instinct and love.

Troy Alexander delivers a commanding performance as Bartholomew, Agnes’s brother and master of the household. Nicki Hobday is chilling as the manipulative stepmother, while Nigel Barrett portrays Shakespeare’s volatile father, a tanner drowning in debt. Penny Layden brings warmth and restraint to the role of Mary, Shakespeare’s God-fearing mother striving to hold her family together.
The early romance between Agnes and William leads to a hurried marriage when she becomes pregnant — her dowry clearing the financial debt between the families. Director Erica Whyman handles Agnes’s pregnancy and childbirth scenes with stunning grace and imagination. The physical storytelling is poetic rather than literal, allowing the audience to feel the emotional transformation without excess sentimentality.

Their first child, Susanna (Ava Hinds-Jones), is followed two years later by twins Hamnet (Hayden Burke) and Judith (Saffron Dey). As William increasingly travels to London, pursuing his passion for writing and theatre, his company gains recognition — even the attention of the Queen — leading to the building of the Globe Theatre on London’s outskirts.
Then comes the devastation. The Black Plague strikes Stratford. Judith falls ill. In one of the play’s most heartbreaking sequences — rooted in Agnes’s mystical worldview — young Hamnet attempts to sacrifice himself for his twin sister, believing he can deceive death. When William rushes home expecting to find his daughter dying, he instead discovers that his son has perished.

It is in this moment that the play quietly reshapes how we understand Shakespeare’s later works. Themes of grief, revenge, loss, and fractured families take on new weight. You begin to see the emotional DNA of his tragedies forming before your eyes.
Everything about this production feels meticulously crafted — from the ensemble performances to the evocative staging and emotionally layered storytelling. Even for those who struggle with Shakespeare’s language, Hamnet provides an accessible, human doorway into his world. It is theatre at its finest: intelligent, moving, and visually stunning.

“Hamnet” runs through March 8th.

Ticket prices range from $102–$139, with a special $30 option for those under 30.

Performances are as follows:

Tuesday        7pm

Wednesday   1pm and 7pm

Thursday       7pm

Friday             7pm

Saturday        2pm and 7pm

Sunday           2pm.

Tickets are available at ChicagoShakes.com.
This is not simply a play — it is an experience. One not to miss. Parking is at Navy Pier bring your ticket for discount parking.
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Hamnet”