Broadway Theatre Owners Scout Benedict Cumberbatch-Led HAMLET

Lyndsey Turner's production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, is currently underway at the Barbican Theatre.

As previously reported, the SHERLOCK star has a full schedule following his run in the play, but now the Daily Mail is reporting that Broadway theatre owners have begun scouting the show (a good sign!), which runs for just 12 weeks.

Cumberbatch starts filming for Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE right after the play closes, followed by shooting for BBC's SHERLOCK next spring.

That makes a Cumberbatch-led Hamlet, either in the West End or on Broadway, as far off as fall 2016 or spring 2017.

The actor's mother, actress Wanda Ventham, attended the first preview this Wednesday. She told the Mail she "would love it" if her son decided to do Hamlet in New York. "Do you think he'd agree?" she said while wiping away tears on her way to the dressing rooms after the show.

If Cumberbatch does take the show to the Great White Way in 2016, it will be his New York stage debut.

HAMLET started performances on 5 August with an opening night set for 25 August 2015. The play is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and presented by the Barbican for an exclusive run through 31 October 2015.

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.

Photo Credit: Johan Persson