REVIEW: SPACE HAMLET @ THE COCKPIT

🎭 Space Hamlet: A Glam Rock Musical

📍 The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, London, NW8 8EH

🗓 Friday 23rd October 2026

⭐️ 3 Stars

A TALE OF TWO HALVES IN OUTER SPACE

Last night, I braved a dark, windy, and thoroughly wet London to head across to The Cockpit - a venue that, surprisingly, was completely new to me. My mission? To check out SPACE HAMLET, a brand-new musical that has just landed in town.

This is a sci-fi glam rock musical parody that mashes up Shakespeare’s classic tragedy with the cosmic energy of Star Wars and The Muppets. Set in the "Denmark System" ruled by space Vikings, the story follows Prince Hamlet on a galactic quest for vengeance against his uncle Claudius, backed by an electrifying David Bowie-inspired rock score and a chorus of violent puppets!

I was genuinely excited for this one. I am a massive fan of Return to the Forbidden Planet - that glorious rock 'n' roll musical based on The Tempest - and the premise of this was giving me serious, comforting echoes of those exact same vibes.

But if I'm being completely honest, I left the theatre with mixed feelings. Some elements of this production worked beautifully, whilst I really struggled with others - and I will try to articulate those conflicting thoughts as best as I can in this review.

The most striking place to start is the script itself. At the interval, I have to admit I felt quite deflated. I wasn’t really enjoying myself. The story lacked momentum and there seemed to be a real lack of energy coming from the stage. Had I not been there to review it, I would have definitely been contemplating whether or not to slip away into the rainy night. I felt disengaged, and it felt like a show that perhaps wasn't quite ready to be in front of a paying audience.

Then Act 2 began, and it was as if it had been written by someone completely different! Suddenly, the show hit warp speed. The songs were much catchier, the story had great momentum, and there was a massive surge of energy from the cast. I particularly enjoyed a brilliant ensemble song when Hamlet landed on a new planet. It’s a testament to the sheer strength of the second act that I felt completely different by the end of the night, but I couldn't help but wonder: where on earth was all of this brilliance during Act 1?

Unfortunately, the one major element that didn't improve for me - and became my biggest barrier as an audience member - was the direction. The Cockpit is a fairly intimate space where the audience is wrapped around the stage on three sides. Yet, almost everything seemed to be performed strictly forwards. This left those of us sat on the sides feeling, rather ironically for a Brechtian-adjacent space show, completely alienated. I often sit on the side in spaces like this and usually am not bothered by blocking, but here it felt like a real oversight.

On a much brighter note, a huge highlight was the use of puppets. Not only were they brilliantly made, but they were delightfully wacky and the puppetry itself was exceptionally well executed. There was a particularly striking, brilliant moment where several performers came together to operate a massive beast. My only gripe here was with the main puppet character, Polonius. For some reason, he was the only character not voiced live on stage. Whether it was pre-recorded or voiced from offstage, it didn't really make sense and slightly broke the illusion of otherwise brilliant puppetry.

If you read my reviews on a regular basis, you know how much importance I place on the technical elements of a show, especially the lighting. It is safe to say that for me, the lighting design was the absolute standout of the entire evening. There were some stunning choices being made, and it really was a thing of beauty. It proves that even in smaller fringe venues, a talented lighting designer can make a show visually compete with the big boys in the West End. They went all out, creating a fantastic atmosphere that sometimes filled the entire auditorium, pulling us right into the action.

Musically, I enjoyed the orchestrations for the most part, but there was a distinct issue with the sound mix. This is proudly promoted as a glam rock musical, but the mix felt far too subdued. I wanted the guitars pushing right to the front. I wanted that raw rockiness to bite. At first, the mix was so weird that I genuinely wondered if the music was pre-recorded, which feels incredibly unfair to the hardworking live musicians. These sound issues also meant that some of the vocals got swallowed up during the big numbers.

As for the cast, it was a bit of a mixed bag, though it must be said that they worked their absolute socks off. Aside from the titular role, everyone played a main character, cycled through smaller ensemble parts, and operated puppets. The standout performance for me came from Lucas Fox. His gritty vocals were absolutely perfect for the glam rock style, and his performance as Claudius was both comical and deeply engaging. I was drawn to him every time he stepped on stage.

There were other strong vocal performances too. Lauren Bryant had a beautiful tone as Queen Gertrude, and Shem Jacobs as King Ham brought real depth and strength, making me sit up straight in my seat. Ruby Bardwell-Dix also delivered fantastic characterisation as Ophelia, pushing her performance right to the edge of absurdity without ever crossing the line.

I’m not saying the rest of the cast were bad by any means, but I don't think the vocal styles of some members were quite suited to this specific rock genre. Sadly, I also struggled with the believability of Nic Gordon’s Hamlet, though in fairness, I think the writing of his character was the weakest link in the script.

This review is a little longer than my usual write-ups, but I simply had so much to say! Ultimately, despite its flaws, SPACE HAMLET is definitely worth checking out. Just make sure to stick with it through the first half, because once Act 2 kicks in, this new musical truly blasts off.

Performances continue at The Cockpit until Saturday 31st October. CLICK HERE to find out more, check availability, and book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Space Hamlet was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting, who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST:

Nic Gordon as Hamlet; Amy Beven as Horatio; Lucas Fox as Claudius; Ruby Bardwell-Dix as Ophelia; Shem Jacobs as King Ham; Lauren Bryant as Queen Gertrude; Lewis Aves as Fortinbras; Elle Overvoorde as Lavertes

CREATIVES:

Writer, Lyricist, Producer - R.C Staab; Composer, Writer, Lyricist, Set Designer, Sound Designer, Graphic Designer, Puppet Maker, Producer - Dan Sturman; Director, Choreographer, Puppetry Direction, Puppet Maker, Producer - April Nash; Orchestrator, Music Producer - Acer Smith; Music Director - Christopher Davidson; Choreographer - Carole Beatty; Fight Director, Choreographer - Alex Green; Lighting and Sound Designer - Matt Cross; Puppetry Director - Lottie Johnson; Puppet Maker - Elle Overvoorde; Costume Designer - Jo Myers; Costume Designer - Dan Smith; Videographer - Andreas Laust

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 20 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Adult language; Puppet violence; Stage combat; Blood imagery; Death

AGE GUIDELINE:

12+

To keep up to date with all the latest theatre news and more, follow Pink Prince Theatre on social media.

Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.