Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet: a 'career-changing' performance

Critics break press tradition to review Cumberbatch's preview night – some praising, others damning

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(Image credit: Barbican)

As audiences got their first glimpse of Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet on his preview night at the Barbican, critics broke with convention to publish early reviews – and not all of them were positive.

The production is directed by Lyndsey Turner (Machinal) and also features Ciaran Hinds, but this Hamlet has been all about 39-year-old Cumberbatch, star of Sherlock and The Imitation Game. Ticket sales have been among the briskest ever recorded for a play, and The Guardian says that avid Cumberbatch fans, known as "Cumberbitches", have been queuing for hours outside the Barbican for a limited release of day tickets.

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