Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet, Barbican 2015: everything you need to know
Cumberbatch Hamlet tickets will go on sale for Barbican members tomorrow morning. Here's everything you need to know to secure a seat for his hotly anticipated 2015 performance.
The buzz for Hamlet. Barbican. 2015. is reaching fever pitch. And for good reason..
Benedict Cumberbatch: career so far...
The hottest actor in the world thanks to the storming success of Sherlock, his bumbling brand of charm, and his spectacular cheekbones, Cumberbatch appears to have the Midas touch; it is therefore unsurprising that, having mentioned in an interview with The Telegraph in 2012 that Hamlet was a role he had been “interested in for a long time”, the stage has come knocking. This starry casting of Shakespeare’s most complex character follows a recent deluge of big name Hamlets: Jude Law, Rory Kinnear, David Tennant and Michael Sheen have all played the Dane in recent years. Cumberbatch is merely next in line.
We don’t doubt that Benedict Cumberbatch will be excellent. His Hamlet is likely to be more meditative than Kinnear’s, more mature than Tennant’s and subtler than Sheen’s. His soliloquies will no doubt be delivered with Branagh-esque elegance and he will command the chosen auditorium with his charisma. Despite his status as hysteria-inducing Hollywood heartthrob, Cumberbatch has already proved his salt on stage with Danny Boyle’s acclaimed version of Frankenstein for the National Theatre in 2011.
Once they go on general sale, tickets will set out in seconds. We’re guessing that little of that will be due to people’s desire to grapple with one of Shakespeare’s longest and most difficult works; if David Tennant’s RSC production is anything to go by, a significant portion of the audience will comprise people slightly confused that Sherlock is speaking in iambic pentameter, and wondering where Martin Freeman is (recovering from his own stint playing Shakespeare, we predict). Get ready to brave the groupies. Many see this as 2015’s most unmissable show – and securing a ticket will take military speed and precision.
Lyndsey Turner, Director
With this year’s Olivier for Best Director added to an already extensive list of accolades, Lyndsey Turner has helmed such theatrical triumphs as Posh and Chimerica, and is set to direct this adaptation of the Bard’s masterpiece. This Hamlet will be produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, the tour de force behind the biggest blockbusters on both Broadway and the West End, including The Book of Mormon and Mark Rylance’s Twelfth Night and Richard III.
HOW TO GET A TICKET FOR HAMLET
Securing a ticket will take forward planning, and a potential interruption to summer holidays. General ticket sale opens on August 11th at 10am. Be poised to click, as they will sell out with lightening speed. if you want to avoid the bun fight and guarantee a ticket it's worth becoming a Barbican Member. Red members can enjoy priority booking from August 1st, and Orange members can book from August 4th. Click here for more information on Barbican Membership.
Ticket purchases will be limited to six per household, across all performances – and photo ID of the booker will be mandatory for admission. This idea is that this will prevent tickets from being sold at inflated prices on resale websites. Excitingly, there will be 100 £10 tickets available for every performance, with more information about eligibility due in 2015.
Lastly, because it will be so popular, the Barbican have warned that they cannot exchange tickets. As you'll be booking for this time next year, it's worth having think about future holidays and plans before you click...
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