BBC to stage Hamlet in 2018

Andrew Scott as Hamlet

The BBC will air the critically acclaimed stage production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Sherlock’s Andrew Scott.

The production, which has received widespread acclaim from critics during its run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End, will screen on BBC2 next year.

Directed by Robert Icke, the stage production is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group, Sonia Friedman Productions and the Almeida.

The programme was commissioned by Patrick Holland, controller at BBC2, and Emma Cahusac, BBC commissioning editor for arts, and is produced by John Wyver at Illuminations Television.

“Andrew Scott’s Hamlet is utterly thrilling. His performance makes each familiar word of the play feel like it is being newly discovered. The staging in a modern-day Denmark makes for a startlingly resonant and challenging production,” said Holland.

Elsewhere at the UK pubcaster, BBC3 has commissioned Croatia 2017: The Brits Are Coming, which will follow British youths heading to the increasingly popular party destination in Eastern Europe.

“This will be an authentic series of films exploring the real lives of young people today and will build on the innovative approach BBC3 has to documentary storytelling,” said Damian Kavanagh, controller at BBC3.