Leo Mujić – Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Camille Saint-Saëns
Hamlet
To be… or not?
Hamlet, one of William Shakespeare’s best-known plays, has been performed in countless theatres around the world for more than 400 years. It tells the story of the Prince of Denmark, whose father’s ghost reveals that the new king poisoned him to claim the crown and the queen. Hamlet resolves to avenge his father’s death. Yet it is his own choices, growing obsession with revenge, and the gradual unravelling of his mind that ultimately define the tragedy.
Choreographer Leo Mujić has transformed Hamlet into a ballet, which had its world premiere at the National Ballet of Slovenia in 2023. The score brings together music by Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns.
“Though it was written over 400 years ago, this story could not be more topical. As Hamlet says, ‘Time is out of joint’, and in the world right now, we could all agree that we are, in many ways, out of joint and at war with ourselves.”
– Leo Mujić
Tickets and performances
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Video: Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet
Synopsis
The King of Denmark has died. Now his brother Claudius, with the blessing of Queen Gertrude, claims the crown. Laertes, the son of the King’s counsellor Polonius, is heading to France to study. His sister Ophelia is in love with Prince Hamlet, the son of the late King, but both Polonius and Laertes warn her about his unpredictability.
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Hamlet is exasperated by his mother’s plans to marry Claudius, which will make Claudius the new King. The coronation is celebrated in Elsinore Castle. Hamlet’s friend Horatio and castle guards inform Hamlet that they have seen a ghostly apparition flying over the castle. Ophelia tries to convince Hamlet to return to the celebrations, but Hamlet’s thoughts are elsewhere.
Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, who reveals that he was murdered by Claudius. The ghost implores Hamlet to seek justice, and the Prince becomes obsessed with avenging his death.
Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet has been behaving strangely. Believing that Hamlet’s madness is caused by his love for Ophelia and her rejection, Polonius decides to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia with King Claudius.
Hamlet, however, spurns Ophelia, telling her to join a nunnery or take her own life. This breaks Ophelia’s heart. Claudius concludes that Hamlet’s strange behaviour is driven by hunger for power rather than love.
Meanwhile, Gertrude asks Hamlet’s childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to find out what is troubling her son.
Hamlet wants to know whether the ghost has told him the truth. He asks his friends to perform a play, to which he has added new lines. In Hamlet’s version, a king kills his brother and marries his wife. Claudius interrupts the play and runs out.
Claudius goes to church to try to pray for mercy. Hamlet enters intending to kill him but changes his mind, realising that Claudius may go to heaven if he dies praying.
Gertrude and Polonius discuss Hamlet’s mental state. When Hamlet arrives, Polonius hides. Hamlet mistakes the hiding man for Claudius and stabs him to death. The ghost appears again, rebuking Hamlet for his harsh words against his mother. Gertrude is unable to see the ghost. Certain that Hamlet has lost his mind, she begins to fear for her own safety.
Hamlet has hidden Polonius’ body in the castle. Claudius orders the guards to search the castle for both Hamlet and the body. Hamlet jokes with Claudius about killing Polonius. Fearing for his life, Claudius orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England, where the King of England is to kill him upon his arrival. Hamlet discovers Claudius’ plot and sends his friends to be killed in his place.
Gertrude learns that Ophelia has lost her mind upon hearing of her father’s death. Claudius tries to comfort her. Meanwhile, Prince Fortinbras of Norway is crossing Denmark with his army on the way to invade Poland.
Laertes returns from France. He is enraged to learn that his father has died. Ophelia, now insane, drowns herself in the river.
Returning to Elsinore, Hamlet finds the skull of the old King’s jester at a cemetery. It makes him question life and death. To his shock, he stumbles upon Ophelia’s funeral procession. He reveals himself and fights with Laertes, swearing that he loved Ophelia more than forty thousand brothers could.
Laertes and Claudius devise a plan to kill Hamlet in a duel with a poisoned rapier and a poisoned cup. Hamlet sees Ophelia in a dream together with his father’s ghost, but Horatio wakes him and summons him to the duel.
While Hamlet and Laertes duel, Gertrude drinks from the cup that Claudius has poisoned. As Gertrude collapses, Laertes confesses the plan. Hamlet wounds him with the poisoned blade. Hamlet then stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and makes him drink the rest of the poisoned wine. Before he, too, dies from the poison, Hamlet urges Horatio to tell his story to future generations. Fortinbras of Norway claims the throne as the new King of Denmark.
Gallery
Leo Mujić, the story ballet choreographer
Creative team
- Choreography
- Leo Mujić
- Music
- Pjotr Tšaikovski, Camille Saint-Saëns
- Set Design
- Stefano Katunar
- Costume Design
- Manuela Paladin Šabanović
- Lighting Design
- Aleksandar Čavlek
- Conductor
- Anna-Maria Helsing
Cast
Cast will be published later.
Listen to hamlet
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The keys to an entertaining evening
The performance takes place on our Main Stage, which has no fewer than 1,300 seats in its auditorium. Please note that the 3rd balcony is very high up. It provides an impressive view, but the front-row seats on this level may not suit those with a fear of heights. Explore the Main Stage and find out more about where to sit. You can also compare the view from different parts of the auditorium.
Price categories: Seats in the auditorium are priced according to the view of the stage and divided into eight price categories (A–H). In addition to seat location, the price is affected by the performance date and demand. Only standard-priced tickets are available in the lowest price categories (F–H).
Discounts
Discounts are available for selected productions, performances, and seats in the Stalls and the 1st and 2nd Balconies, unless otherwise indicated.
- Pensioners: €10 discount per ticket for selected seats in the Stalls and the 1st Balcony. The discount is available to all holders of the card for national pension recipients and anyone aged 65 or over.
- Students, military and non-military servicemen: 40% discount on the full ticket price.
- Children and those aged 20 and under: 40–50% discount on the full ticket price.
- Same-day tickets: A special rate of €30 per ticket is available for those aged 20 and under, students, military and non-military servicemen, the unemployed, and pensioners. The discount applies to seats in the Stalls, no earlier than 12 hours before the performance and subject to availability.
Please note that full-price and concessionary tickets for under-20s, students, and pensioners can be exchanged in our online store free of charge up to 24 hours before the performance. The value of the ticket(s) is credited to your customer account for later use.
Children and young people up to the age of 20 are eligible for a 40–50% discount on ticket prices.
Please note that children under the age of 5 are not admitted to Main Stage performances. The age recommendation for each production can be found at the top of its dedicated page.
For the best view, we recommend seats in the front Stalls or the centre of the 1st Balcony. If you’re unsure which seats would be most suitable, our customer service team will be happy to help you find the best options.
To ensure an enjoyable and memorable visit, see our Visiting with children page for more tips.
You can easily purchase accessible seats either through our online store or customer service. On the auditorium map, you can check the locations of accessible seats in the Main Stage auditorium (pdf). The accessible seats are marked with wheelchair icons to make choosing your seat easier.
Read more detailed instructions for purchasing accessible seats and ensure your visit is effortlessly enjoyable from start to finish.
The programme booklet provides background information about the production, its creators, and the story. It is published on the day of the premiere and can be purchased before the performance from the customer service desk in the Töölönlahti lobby, the sales desk at the Mannerheimintie entrance, all open counters of the Opera Restaurant, and selected members of our lobby staff. The price of the programme booklet is €7.
You can also buy the programme booklet in advance from our customer service desk or online via the Order refreshments page. See more detailed instructions here on how to purchase the programme booklet on the Order refreshments page.
The digital cast details for each opera and ballet, including the evening’s cast and creative team, are published online no later than on the day of the performance (please note that the link opens in a separate window). Cast details are also available on the displays and touch screens in the foyers, as well as under the My events tab in the mobile app.
Enhance your experience with refreshments. You can enjoy refreshments before the performance or during the interval. We recommend placing your order in advance, either through our online store or by calling our customer service. If tables are still available, online sales close no later than 24 hours before the performance.
Using the Opera&Ballet mobile app, you can order interval refreshments to a pick-up counter until shortly before the performance begins. Learn more about pick-up orders.
The Opera House is located by Töölönlahti bay. Our address is Helsinginkatu 58, which is well served by public transport.
The main entrance on the Mannerheimintie side usually opens 1.5 hours before the start of a Main Stage performance. Please make sure you arrive in good time, at least 15 minutes before the performance begins. Latecomers are only admitted after the interval so as not to disturb the performance.
How to dress for the performance? Can I wear perfume? Do I need to pay for the cloakroom? Find answers to these questions and more on our Tips for visitors page. We have put together a comprehensive guide to help make your visit to the Opera House a success.