Hamlet voted UK’s favourite Shakespeare play
The tragic tale of the Prince of Denmark has topped website WhatsOnStage’s survey 454 years after the playwright was born.
Hamlet has been named the nation’s favourite play by William Shakespeare after topping a survey by theatre website WhatsOnStage.
The tragedy narrowly topped the poll with 13% of the vote, just ahead of comedy Much Ado About Nothing with 12% and Macbeth in third place with 11%.
Further down the list was Romeo And Juliet in seventh place, and Richard II rounded up the top 10.
Hamlet, which tells the story of the titular Prince of Denmark and the revenge he wreaks upon his treacherous uncle Claudius, contains some of Shakespeare’s most celebrated lines, including the protagonist’s soliloquy that begins “To be, or not to be”.
Recent performances productions of Hamlet have included Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the lead role at the Barbican and Andrew Scott playing the prince in the Almeida Theatre’s retelling, which was televised on BBC Two last Easter Saturday.
“Theatres around the UK are largely to thank for this, continuing to celebrate the Bard’s work with world-class performances.”
