Barbican Theatre's Benedict Cumberbatch-Led HAMLET Hits Theaters Across the Globe Today

The National Theatre Live screens HAMLET, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. The production started performances on 5 August and officially opened 25 August at the Barbican Theatre for an exclusive run through 31 October 2015. The play is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions. The production will be broadcast in cinemas worldwide starting today 15 October through the National Theatre Live! Click here to find a screening near you.

Joining Cumberbatch are Barry Aird (Soldier), Eddie Arnold (Danish Captain, Servant), Leo Bill (Horatio), Siân Brooke (Ophelia), Nigel Carrington (Servant, Cornelius), Ruairi Conaghan (Player King), Rudi Dharmalingam (Guildenstern), Colin Haigh (Priest, Messenger), Paul Ham (Official), Diveen Henry (Player Queen, Messenger), Anastasia Hille (Gertrude), Ciarán Hinds (Claudius), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Laertes), Karl Johnson(Ghost of Hamlet's father),Jim Norton(Polonius), Amaka Okafor (Official), Dan Parr (Barnardo), Jan Shepherd (Courtier), Morag Siller(Voltemand), Matthew Steer(Rosencrantz), Sergo Vares (Fortinbras) and Dwane Walcott (Marcellus).

Set designs are by Es Devlin with costume designs by Katrina Lindsay, video by Luke Halls, lighting by Jane Cox, music by Jon Hopkins, sound by Christopher Shutt, movement by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and fights by Bret Yount.

As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father's death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.

For more about the production, visit www.hamlet-barbican.com.