Lolita Chakrabarti’s adaptation from Maggie O’Farrell’s sweeping tale is a highly metaphoric jaunt through the thrill of new love — the mystery of this strange falcon girl who may have deep connections to witchcraft, and a base Latin tutor helping his father (Nigel Barrett) climb out of crippling debt.
Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Agnes (center), with Ajani Cabey as Hamnet and Saffron Dey as Judith in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘Hamnet’ at ACT in San Francisco. (Kyle Flubacker)
In Erica Whyman’s astute direction, long swatches of material become babies and pregnancies. This theatrical approach complements a grand and rustic scenic design by Tom Piper, who also designed the costumes. Simon Baker’s soundscape leans heavily into deep bass to augment whispers and wisdom that form much of the play’s mystery.
Chakrabarti’s reimagined script veers somewhat from O’Farrell’s flashback-heavy 2020 novel. Yet it’s respectful to the novel’s great intentions (the stunning clarity in the book to describe a first tryst among the apples is staged beautifully here).
While much about ACT’s production works, it is not perfect. The initial sounds of child whispers are hard, if not impossible, to understand. While plenty of the show meets the story’s emotional demands, other moments fall toward a thinner, more unsatisfying end. Hard honesty moves through space with too much rapidity for an audience yearning for authenticity.
Saffron Dey as Judith and Ajani Cabey as Hamnet in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s‘Hamnet’ at ACT in San Francisco. (Kyle Flubacker)
Some fantastic setups preface the second act’s more damaging moments. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of Shakespeare knows that Hamnet’s demise is near; a gentle, well-paced staging doesn’t make that any easier to digest. But take note of how Jacobs conveys the hurt. As in the Ocscar-winning 2025 film of Hamnet, Jacobs’ cries as Agnes are guttural, produced from a place that only exists for those who’ve bore and lost a child.
While William channels his agony into his opus, unbeknownst to those mourning back home, the stoic Agnes is the face of devastation, conveyed by Jacobs using every ounce of her emotions.
Both John and Mary (Penny Layden) represent the issues that encompass Will as he navigates a scandalous pregnancy out of wedlock. While Barrett conveys the horror of John’s temper in O’Farrell’s novel, he’s equally delightful as the bumbling comic actor Will Kempe. And Troy Alexander as Barthlolomew is a gargantuan presence, taking charge when he sees fit.
Art will always have the power to heal weary souls, contextualizing some of existence’s most distressing moments. Hamnet needs a greater commitment to manifest its own quintessence, but the pathway is there for the taking.
‘Hamnet’ runs through Sunday, May 24 at the Toni Rembe Theater in San Francisco. Tickets and more information here.