United Kingdom and Ireland
The play had its first incarnation as a 1964 one-act titled Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Meet King Lear. The expanded version under the current title was first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on 24 August 1966, by the Oxford Theatre Group. The play debuted in London with a production at the Old Vic directed by Derek Goldby, designed by Desmond Heeley, and scored by Marc Wilkinson.[8] It premiered on 11 April 1967, with John Stride as Rosencrantz, Edward Petherbridge as Guildenstern, Graham Crowden as the Player, and John McEnery as Hamlet.[9] The play returned to the National Theatre on 14 December 1995 and this production with Adrian Scarborough as Rosencrantz and Simon Russell Beale as Guildenstern subsequently toured to Belfast, Cork, Bath, Newcastle, Sheffield and Bradford.[10]
In 2011 the play was revived in a production directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, opening at Chichester Festival Theatre before transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London's West End (June–August 2011). It starred Samuel Barnett and Jamie Parker. Tim Curry was originally scheduled to appear as The Player, but dropped out during preview performances at Chichester Festival Theatre due to ill health and was replaced by Chris Andrew Mellon. In 2013, an excerpt of the play was performed by Benedict Cumberbatch (Rosencrantz) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Guildenstern) on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the National Theatre.[8][11]
From 25 February to 6 May 2017 the play returned to The Old Vic in a production celebrating its 50th anniversary, directed by David Leveaux and starring Daniel Radcliffe as Rosencrantz, Joshua McGuire as Guildenstern and David Haig as The Player.[12][13][14][15]
Broadway and Off-Broadway
The Royal National Theatre production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had a year-long Broadway run from 9 October 1967, through 19 October 1968, initially at the Alvin Theatre, then transferring to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on 8 January 1968.
The production, which was Stoppard's first on Broadway, totalled eight previews and 420 performances.[2] It was directed by Derek Goldby and designed by Desmond Heeley and starred Paul Hecht as the Player, Brian Murray as Rosencrantz and John Wood as Guildenstern. The play was nominated for eight Tony Awards, and won four: Best Play, Scenic Design, Costume Design and Producer; the director and the three leading actors, all nominated for Tonys, did not win.[16]
The play also won Best Play from the New York Drama Critics Circle in 1968, and Outstanding Production from the Outer Critics Circle in 1969. Clive Barnes of The New York Times described the play as "very funny, very brilliant, very chilling."[17]
The play was profiled in the William Goldman book The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway.[18]
The play had a 1987 New York revival by Roundabout Theatre at the Union Square Theatre,[2] directed by Robert Carsen and featuring John Wood as the Player, Stephen Lang as Rosencrantz and John Rubinstein as Guildenstern. It ran for 40 performances from 29 April to 28 June 1987.
Several times since 1995, the American Shakespeare Center has mounted repertories that included both Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with the same actors performing the same roles in each; in their 2001 and 2009 seasons the two plays were "directed, designed, and rehearsed together to make the most out of the shared scenes and situations".[19]
Halifax's Neptune Theatre company began a production of the play in January 2024 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and collaborated with Mirvish Productions for a Toronto, Ontario run beginning in March 2024—the latter of which was extended twice before the first production due to high sales. Both runs featured Billy Boyd as Guildenstern, Dominic Monaghan as Rosencrantz, and Michael Blake as the Player, with the Toronto Star describing them as "a trio of brilliant performances" and awarding the production 3.5/4 stars.[20]
Other worldwide productions
In 2013, Sydney Theatre Company presented a production directed by Simon Phillips with a cast featuring Tim Minchin as Rosencrantz and Toby Schmitz as Guildenstern from 6 August to 7 September 2013.[21]
Radio adaptations
The play has been adapted three times for BBC Radio:
- 24 December 1978, an adaptation by Stoppard himself, directed by John Tydeman;[22] the cast included Edward Petherbridge as Guildenstern, Edward Hardwicke as Rosencrantz, Freddie Jones as The Player, Robert Lang as Claudius, Maxine Audley as Gertrude, Angela Pleasence as Ophelia, and Martin Jarvis as Hamlet.
- 15 July 2007 as part of a celebration of Stoppard's 70th birthday, another version of Stoppard's adaptation, this time directed by Peter Kavanagh;[23] the cast included Danny Webb as Rosencrantz, Andrew Lincoln as Guildenstern, Desmond Barrit as The Player, John Rowe as Polonius, Abigail Hollick as Ophelia, Liza Sadovy as Gertrude, Simon Treves as Claudius and John Dougall as Hamlet.
- A two-part adaptation broadcast 30 and 31 March 2019 on BBC Radio 4, directed by Emma Harding;[24][25] the cast included Mathew Baynton as Rosencrantz, Andrew Buchan as Guildenstern, Toby Jones as The Player, Sam Dale as Tragedian, Ronny Jhutti as Alfred, Sarah Ovens as Ophelia, Michael Bertenshaw as Polonius, Parth Thakerar as Hamlet, Don Gilet as Claudius and Clare Corbett as Gertrude.
A 1983 radio adaptation was broadcast on the BBC World Service on 17 October directed by Gordon House, with Nigel Anthony as Rosencrantz, Nicky Henson as Guildenstern, Jack May as The Player, John Duttine as Hamlet, Peter Vaughan as Claudius, Marcia Warren as Gertrude, Eileen Tully as Ophelia, Cyril Shaps as Polonius and Alex Jennings as a Tragedian.
In June 2022, a production directed by Rosalind Ayres for the L.A. Theatre Works was broadcast from and recorded at the Invisible Studios, West Hollywood. The cast included Adhir Kalyan as Rosencrantz, Matthew Wolf as Guildenstern, Martin Jarvis as The Player, Anna Lyse Erikson as Alfred/Ophelia, Seamus Dever as Hamlet, JD Cullum as Claudius/Soldier, Andre Sogliuzzo as Polonius/Player-King/Horatio/Ambassador and Susan Sullivan as Gertrude.[26]
Film adaptation
Film rights to the play were originally bought by MGM in 1968 for a reported $350,000 plus 10% of the profits. John Boorman was announced as director with Bob Chartoff and Irwin Winkler to produce. The film was not made, however.[27]
The play was eventually adapted for a film released in February 1990, with screenplay and direction by Stoppard. The motion picture is Stoppard's only film directing credit: "[I]t began to become clear that it might be a good idea if I did it myself—at least the director wouldn't have to keep wondering what the author meant. It just seemed that I'd be the only person who could treat the play with the necessary disrespect."[28] The cast included Gary Oldman as Rosencrantz, Tim Roth as Guildenstern, Richard Dreyfuss as the Player, Joanna Roth as Ophelia, Ian Richardson as Polonius, Joanna Miles as Gertrude, Donald Sumpter as Claudius, and Iain Glen as Hamlet.
