Tom Hiddleston, whose career has been defined by a single deftly poised performance — Loki, God of Mischief — had previously done minimal theatre. In a recent interview with Gentleman’s Journal, the actor expressed a desire to return to stage performances.
“I’d love to do more theatre. I don’t know when that may be — but I hope I always will want to. “
The actor’s Hamlet performance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2017 is considered as one of the most dazzling Shakespearean performances. There’s are rumors that he remembers the entire play word by word.
“Not all of Hamlet! Some of it is definitely still in there, but I don’t think that’s singular or unique to me. I think, perhaps, once you have learned or played Hamlet, that it stays with you forever.”
Hiddleston’s stage performances has been relatively limited since his Hamlet. In 2019, the actor made his Broadway debut in Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. However, his prior commitments may prevent him from doing so for some time.
“And I’ve done less of that, to be honest. I haven’t done much of that at all. But let’s see what comes around. It would be nice to be in a theatre again. It’s that thing of doing anything live, where the audience is as much a part of the performance as the performers.”
He talked about being on theatre stage and how strong he emotionally feel to be performing.
“There’s always fun to be had in reviving classical work. I find that so rewarding. When you’re having a conversation through time, when there are certain moments in plays that have endured, when they continue to resonate in surprising ways — that’s when you realize why these pieces of art have endured. There’s something timeless inside them; what’s being explored about the human condition. And discovering them anew is always, I find, a genuine joy.”
Tom Hiddleston’s recent show, The Essex Serpent, is available on Apple TV+.
