Hamlet joins Othello, currently playing at London’s Trafalgar Studios and, in the RSC’s Stratford base, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and Macbeth.

Toby Stephens plays the downcast Dane, his first appearance with the company since his award-winning turn as Coriolanus in 1994. In the meantime, Stephens (son of famous thesps Maggie Smith and the late Robert Stephens) has regularly appeared in the West End — productions have included Racine’s Phedre and Britannicus alongside Diana Rigg, Simon Gray’s Japes and The Royal Family with Judi Dench. Screen work has included the James Bond villain Gustav Graves in “Die Another Day” and Lensky opposite Ralph Fiennes’ “Onegin.”

Greg Hicks, currently the RSC’s resident Macbeth, plays Claudius, with Sian Thomas as Gertrude. The cast also includes Anita Booth, Edward Clarke, Richard Cordery, Ian Drysdale, Jonathan Forbes, Meg Fraser, Trystan Gravelle, John Killoran, John Mackay, Neil Madden, Forbes Masson, Sion Tudor Owen, Jessica Tomchak, Gideon Turner and Clive Wood.

RSC chief Michael Boyd directs his first production since taking over the company. Tom Piper designs, with lighting by Vince Herbert, sound by Andrea Cox, music by John Woolf and fights directed by Terry King. The show runs in repertoire at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre until Oct. 2, after which it will move to the Albery in London.

For further details, call (0)870 609 1110 or visit www.rsc.org.uk.