‘A privilege – and pretty terrifying’: James Norton to play Hamlet in the West End

<p>The Happy Valley actor is lined up as the lead in German director Thomas Ostermeier’s first Shakespearean play in English</p><p>James Norton is to take on his first major Shakespearean stage role and play Hamlet in the West End next year.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/aug/24/king-and-conqueror-review-james-norton-and-nikolaj-coster-waldau-fight-the-battle-of-hastings">King &amp; Conqueror</a> star said it was a “privilege” and “pretty terrifying” to be cast as the tragic prince in the acclaimed German director Thomas Ostermeier’s production next autumn. Norton was last on stage in 2023 in the harrowing A Little Life, based on Hanya Yanagihara’s novel, which the actor described as the hardest thing he has ever done.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jun/29/james-norton-to-play-hamlet-in-the-west-end-in-2027-thomas-ostermeier">Continue reading...</a>