Get thee to a funnery! After a sold-out world premiere, Hamlet Camp, written by and starring Brendan Cowell, Ewen Leslie and Toby Schmitz, returns to Carriageworks for a strictly limited season from 7 – 25 January 2026.
A darkly comic fever dream, Hamlet Camp unites three (former) Princes of Australian theatre in a genre-defying mashup of Shakespeare, satire and slay – where three Hamlets who cannot quite let go of the part wake up in a rehab for Hamlets.
Each of these thespians has scaled the Shakespearean summit (it’s been a while now) to go head-to-skull with poor Yorick in the most coveted acting role in the business, and now audiences can bear witness to the lifelong curse of playing the most sought-after role in theatre history.
Celebrated as “a wildly inventive take on the Bard” and “a masterclass in blending the old with the irreverently new,” this brilliant beast of a piece provides gut-wrenching gags, poignant and pithy insights, and an avalanche of physical absurdity.
It’s a Black Mirror style rehab…but for Hamlets…in a kingdom setting within the walls of Carriageworks.
“If you missed it the first time, here’s your chance to truly miss it!”
– Brendan Cowell
“There’s a twist at the end that you will definitely see coming.”
– Ewen Leslie
“What are the dates again?”
– Toby Schmitz
To be there or not?! For this radical reunion of three of Australia’s best-loved actors, each fresh from acclaimed performances on stage and screen.
Cowell recently starred alongside Alicia Vikander and Andrew Lincoln in The Lady from the Sea at London’s Bridge Theatre; Schmitz captivated audiences in Belvoir St Theatre’s five-star production of Grief is the Thing with Feathers; and Leslie lit up screens in the award-winning television drama The Twelve.
Prepare for a thought-provoking evening of laughs, tears and bewilderment as Cowell, Leslie and Schmitz lay bare an actor’s life of friendship, passion, cruelty, glory and chaos in Hamlet Camp.
Hamlet Camp is presented by MODERN CONVICTS and Carriageworks and runs from 7 – 25 January 2026. Bay 20, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street Eveleigh NSW 2015.
Tickets are on sale now!
Website: https://carriageworks.com.au/events/hamlet-camp-2026/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/carriageworks/
Photo credits: Brooke Rushton
Run time: Approx. 90 minutes (no interval).
Content warnings: Coarse language, strobe and references to violence and self-harm.
