Benedict Cumberbatch will play the lead role in Shakespeare's Hamlet during a 12-week run from August 5 to October 31 at the Barbican theater in London. The New York Times reported that the production, directed by Lyndsey Turner, "is easily the most anticipated event of the London theatrical season."
Lead producer Sonia Friedman said she believed it was the fastest-selling play in British history, with advance seats going within hours. "I hope that, for those that have never seen Shakespeare, it will be really rock-and-roll, and really exciting, and that they’ll understand that Shakespeare is as easy to understand as a television show or a blockbuster movie."
Though internationally famous for his TV and film roles (Sherlock, The Imitation Game), Cumberbatch "is no stranger to the stage--his most recent roles were in After the Dance and Frankenstein at the National Theater," the Times noted.
