Glyndebourne: Hamlet

The story

Brett Dean's multi-award-winning opera received its world premiere at Glyndebourne Festival 2017. The world premiere recording of Brett Deans new opera based on Shakespeares best-known tragedy: To be, or not to be. This is Hamlets dilemma, and the essence of Shakespeares most famous and arguably greatest work, given new life in operatic form in this original Glyndebourne commission. Thoughts of murder and revenge drive Hamlet when he learns that it was his uncle Claudius who killed his father, the King of Denmark, then seized his fathers crown and wife. But Hamlets vengeance vies with the question: is suicide a morally valid deed in an unbearably painful world?

Cast & crew

Allan ClaytonHamlet

Barbara HanniganOphelia

Rodney GilfryClaudius

Sarah ConnollyGertrude

David Butt Philip

David Butt PhilipLaertes

Kim Begley

Kim BegleyPolonius

Jacques ImbrailoHoratio

James Newby

James NewbyMarcellus

John TomlinsonGhost/Gravedigger

Rupert Enticknap

Rupert EnticknapRosencrantz

Christopher Lowrey

Christopher LowreyGuildenstern

Vladimir JurowskiSelf/Conductor