We are pleased to announce that the live October 15th international broadcast of Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) in the title role in Lyndsey Turner’s production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet was seen by over 225,000 people, making it the largest global audience for a live broadcast day of any title in National Theatre Live history. The broadcast played on over 1,400 screens and in 25 countries on a live or time shifted basis. In addition to English subtitles for international markets, the program was delivered live with Swedish subtitles, and for the first time on a live basis, Russian subtitles. For information on encore screenings, visit www.NTLive.com. Hamlet is produced in London through October 31st by Sonia Friedman Productions and presented by the Barbican.
Prior to the broadcast Benedict Cumberbatch said “It feels truly thrilling to be opening up our theatre production of Hamlet to the wider reach of a National Theatre Live audience. The idea that people who can't get to the theatre, for whatever reason, can join us for one night in cinemas around the country – and indeed the world – is extraordinary. Each screening will doubtless have its own atmosphere, but wherever you’re watching, thanks to the brilliance of the National Theatre Live team, you’ll be right at the heart of the action, in the best seat in the house.”
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.
The full cast of Hamlet is: Barry Aird (Soldier), Eddie Arnold (Danish Captain, Servant), Leo Bill (Horatio), Siân Brooke (Ophelia), Nigel Carrington (Servant, Cornelius), Ruairi Conaghan (Player King), Benedict Cumberbatch (Hamlet), 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.