Tickets for Benedict Cumberbatch’s starring turn as Hamlet went on sale today. And there’s already controversy!! Because it’s Cumby. Benedict will star in yet another stage production of Hamlet next year. Literally, we are a year and four days away from his stage turn. The production begins August 5th, 2015. Opening night is August 25, then the run will end on October 31. But none of that matters because all of the Cumberlunatics have already bought #AlltheTickets. There’s also this little bit of info:
And so it begins, priority booking for Barbican members starts today 1st August 2014. Tickets go on sale to the public on Monday 11 August 2014 at 10.00am. Such is the popularity of Benedict Cumberbatch, this is one Hamlet that will be sold out and packed to the rafters.
It will be ‘interesting’ to see how this will work: At each performance there will be 100 seats at £10, positioned throughout the auditorium. These seats will be released for sale at a later date.
In addition to regular performances, there will be four education matinees scheduled exclusively for schools, higher and further education students. These performances will go on-sale early 2015 via the Barbican, with booking details to be announced at a later date.
Some lucky (Cumber)bitches will get to see Benedict play Hamlet for the bargain price of £10? Damn. And he’s doing educational shows too! Anyway, it seems like the ticket sales – which have only been open for a matter of hours – are already through the roof online. It’s crazy that people are THIS excited a year in advance… for a stage play. Incidentally, The Telegraph had a really nice write-up about Benedict and how he will be a great Hamlet because he’s an actor able to find the nuance, etc, you get the picture. Speaking of pictures, the Barbican Theatre released two promotional images for the production and… wait… is Benedict going to be acting with children?
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Barbican Theatre.
Those are really cool pictures. He will be really decent in the role but his fan base descending on the theatre kind of puts me of going. It’s always a spectacle when an actor with fame from TV or movies do the west end.
I understand what you are saying. A couple of weeks ago I saw “Of Mice and Men” on Broadway with Chris ODowd and James Franco.
There were so many Franco fans who were clearly there only to see him. They had no understanding of the actual play and spent most of the play laughing at the events. They treated the play like a farce or something. It was very distracting for the audience and the other actors.
But I think in this case Cumberbatch fans will appreciate the piece being performed.
Well one can be both a theatre lover and a BC fan … I mean, I’m from Italy, I’ve got the membership card of 2 of the theatres in my city … I’ve always loved theatre, I’ve been going to the plays since I was 14 (and now I’m 33) and I come to LDN just to see ‘your’ plays quite often, at least once a year… I will be coming for Hamlet as well because I think BC is a fantastic actor, I’m a fan of his and of his work … and if he just achieves 50% of his Frankenstein performance, my money will be well spent. I really hope there won’t be any girly screams, chatting or anything like that (he himself would hate that), but if being BC-fans help these 20ish girls to come to the theatre instead of watching Twilight on TV, well I’m fine with it. I’ve read people on tumblr saying they will be seeing the Turing movie only because he’s in it. It’s quite sad, if you think of it …but in the end, I guess it’s still better than it would be if they watched only 50 shades of grey.
bit harsh! i’m 25 and a fan of BC and am going to see hamlet because of him.
i don’t watch twilight or 50 shades and know how to behave in theatre. your generalizing is quite annoying, as is behaving like younger fans of BC are giggling rabid fangirls.
i too hope that everyone knows how to behave in theatre, and am sure that everyone will. i’ve heard no complaints about audience behaviour during Martin Freeman’s play, and I assume much of the same fanbase is there.
Naomi of Cumberbatchweb posted some FAQs about the Barbican and such and it seems like it’s not going to be 100% sold out/dearth of seats (at least not this far in advance, lol) since the theatre is holding some seats back and it’s also a larger theatre, unlike the Donmar. I don’t doubt a ton of his fans bought a large number of tickets but I think, since the Barbican did a tiered membership pre-sale thing, there’s a good chance many of the tickets went to members who might not necessarily be “super fans”.
Lots of the “super fans” bought memberships just for a place in line closer to the front – it’s a damaging consumer behavior in the long run. It’s also a bit crappy that the Barbican membership plan has no with criteria other than ability & willingness to come up with a chunk of cash. It’s already expensive to go to the theater, and with these membership schemes it’ll become harder to get decent seats for any show with a major name unless a ticket buyer can come up with the ticket price, “booking fee” PLUS £100.
What other criteria would you suggest?
I think the prices for Hamlet were quite reasonable in comparison with other similar events and surely having the money and having the time is the only criteria that has ever counted.
The membership perks are designed to encourage visitors to return to the complex multiple times and patronize other Barbican businesses, not to artificially inflate ticket prices and reduce who can afford to attend productions or get tickets at all.
Other criteria might include residency in the Barbican complex or within a reasonable geographic radius, offering purchase of memberships only AT the Barbican or making more desirable perks available after a membership has been active for a period of time. I realize my opinion is foolishly focused on fair play, but being able to afford the ticket price ought to be enough to put the VAST majority of (preferably all) theater goers on a level playing field when it comes to access to good seats. If that’s not how they expect it to work, why not just raise the ticket prices high enough to keep out the rabble and be done.
(FWIW, for the right amount of money folks can walk past the cue to ride the rollercoasters at amusement park, it’s the same kind of thing and I think it’s crap too. Money shouldn’t always trump fairness.)
Already sold out? OMG
Not fair. All the actors I like are doing shows when I am not going to be in London. Who *is* (supposedly) doing a show when I’ll be in London? Lindsay Lohan. Womp womp.
I feel for you.
Those stills are great and the kid looks like BC. I don’t think all the tickets are gone yet. Each person can only buy 6 tickets at max. Also they are holding out some seats for general audience who can buy them on Aug 11.
Yes, lots of tickets left I think. Presale was a nightmare with thousands in online queue, but I got excellent seats the first week after opening, so I’m very happy. I think fans will behave. They have for Martin Freeman and this is much the same crowd. I don’t think Benedict minds if somebody happens to applaud at the wrong time. Besides, theatre in Shakespeare’s time was a rowdy affair. If this brings in new theatre goers and makes just a few of them fall in live with theatre and old Will S,, I think that’s awesome.
I do not live in London anymore(sigh) but I used yo buy tickets for the Donmar 1 year in advance or more. And I got to see Jude Law play hamlet, and ken Branagh playing Checov, also Andrea risen borough, Judy Dench and rosamund pike. Ah nice times. But then I loved the theatre..
Love him! Wish I could go.
I love the teaser photos with the kids, very much like Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland! I wonder what will be their concept…
Should be an interesting production.
Really like the play but Cumberbatch wouldn’t be my choice for Hamlet at all. However, I would lose my shit to see him play Edmund or Iago.
Tickets aren’t available to joe public till next week.
Only people who have spent a fortune joining the Barbican (to primarily queue jump) have got tickets today.
It looks like the theatre didnt make all tickets available this morning. I suppose that’s to reduce the amount of criticism leveled at them for letting wealthier Barbican members grab all the best spots. Maybe some of those good seats will be made available on the day for £10.
I love the “official” photos for the production. The kid looks perfect as a young ginger Batch Hamlet. The costumes and set suggest it will be a period piece. Cumber tights – yay.
Making a huge leap from a few photos it does look like Benedict and Lyndsey Turner are focusing on Hamlet’s immaturity and impetuous behavior.
I’ve said it before and I’llza say it again, I just do not understand the appeal of this guy at all. Don’t get me wrong, perhaps (or perhaps not) he’s a decent chap, but on a physical, animalistic level, this man simply does not turn my crank….nada…nothing. He’s got an “alien” look about him. Zero sex appeal for this girl. It’s the same with that skankfest, John Hamm….ugh!
But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The first step to understand the appeal of different actors is do not try to understand it LOL. For example, I do not share the interest for Channing Tatum or Tom Hardy, I find them unattractive but my sister loves them and she thinks they are sexy and charming.
As you say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The teaser pictures look fantastic. Beyond my expectations.
Love the pic–this is going to have some great set designs!
I am so down for this it’s sick. Those photos are really cool. Oh, sigh…I wish I had the money for a visit to London. It’s number one on my Travel Wish List. I envy any of you who live there. 🙁
Is it normal to sell tickets to a play with a big-name actor attached to it one year in advance?
I’m wondering that too! It feels way too early
For theaters that offer “memberships” or “subscriptions”, yes, it is quite normal and it isn’t just for plays with big–names attached. They either make their whole slate available at once, even if some plays aren’t scheduled yet, or they make individual plays available once they’re scheduled, if it is a “pick and choose” sort of membership. General public tickets may not go on sale until months later.
As a US citizen, I am very happy to have contributed to a 2 yr. Red Circle membership to the Barbican (must have a cocktail in the Red Circle lounge before Hamlet). What a wonderful complex…the original Roman wall, the programs for children, the art and artists!! I was on-line at 4:50 EST for 4 1/2 hours in a line with 3621 people in front of me. I’ll be giving my friends in London my extra tickets for this sold out performance as they are Orange Circle Members. ShakeCumberSpeareBatch!
Contributed? The Barbican isn’t a charity or even a not-for-profit. Another membership purchaser said she “invested” her money. The stark truth is by buying a membership just for the the early opportunity to get Hamlet tickets, you were really buying your way to the front of the ticket line – a virtual line, but maybe that’s why people are comfortable bragging about doing it.
I wonder how many of the brand new, Hamlet only Barbican “members” would use money to cut in line anywhere else. Would many push their way through a crowd of real people all waiting their turns with the pronouncement “hey, I can afford it, so I get to go first”?
I work with little kids and by 2 years old they get frustrated with line cutters/cue jumpers because they know instinctively it isn’t fair. I wonder when so many people decided it was fine, even something to brag about, as long as you are using money to shove others out of your way.
Yeah, I’m naiive, but I really don’t think fair play should be allowed to become obsolete, (or become secondary after money).
The Barbican is owned by the City of London. Its money goes back into the theatre plus other entities, including a library and and the London Symphony.
A lot of London theaters have memberships with priority booking (ie., the smaller Donmar is £75). It’s cheap compared to where I live lol. The better theater by me is $1,000 for a year membership with that perk.
OK, it’s cheaper than the theater by you, but that still doesn’t mean it is a good or fair system. especially if the theater is owned by the city. What are the chances of an entire 12 week run of a production in the theater by you being bought out by “members”? Slim, right? It’s likely to happen with Hamlet. I find that disturbing, esp. since many of the new members admit they can’t/won’t use the memberships beyond Hamlet tickets.
With the theater by me, you can’t get any good seats period for a popular show unless you’re a member. But theaters need a predictable revenue stream, especially government-supported ones that keep seeing funding cuts.
Years ago, my theater couldn’t even stage certain shows because they couldn’t afford to upgrade the sound system despite fundraising; memberships solved some of their financial problems. It’s a Catch-22 and it’s likely the same with the Barb.
The Barb did hold back tickets to the general public but they would be shown as sold or greyed out on the theater website. There’s going to be total of the 8,400 £100 seats plus the ATG ones. ATG is a theater ticket selling service that is better equipped to handle a rush, they don’t charge anymore than the theater would.
Okay, so what exactly was the controversy mentioned at the beginning? A play starring a well-known actor, who has been on stage in plays before, is selling well? Scandalous.
I think it depends on who you ask–I know some folks are not happy with tickets being sold this far out, some are pissy b/c they think this is a vanity project (he’s long said he’d love to play Hamlet), some are saying he’s too old for the role, yada yada yada. And the ever popular “Omg fangirls ruin everything!”
at first i was so excited because shakespeare! acting! wow!
but now i realise i’m going to pay to see cumby in tights. was it my hindbrain all along?
maybe not. shakespeare! acting! wow!
What is all this rubbish about people cutting the queue??? There are multiple queues – one for red members, one for orange members, one for general admission, etc. I wish other events had this kind of system. I live in San Diego and I have been trying to get Comic-Con tickets for years, and I would LOVE to be able to throw money at that thing to make it happen for me.
I started saving my money as soon as I heard about Hamlet, because Cumberbatch combined with Shakespeare and London was too good to miss – I worked hard to save that money and I am frankly kind of ticked that I might have gotten even better seats if the Barbican wasn’t holding them back for people who didn’t pony up for red membership.
There aren’t multiple cues. There is ONE cue and if you have the bucks you get to first (red), if there are any tickets left, and you spent £40 , you go next (orange). (Red & orange get 10 days alone in line, plus people can keep buying their way into the line during that time). Finally, on August 11, everyone else (who couldn’t/wouldn’t pony up $$$ to shove their way into the cue earlier, get to cue up – IF any seats are left.
Rest easy, you shoved your way as far in front as anyone was able. (According to cumberbatchweb, the Barbican held NO seats for public sale and only held back a group for the ATG, whoever they are, & the mysterious £10 seats. )
@ogg921:
ATG IS public sale — http://www.atgtickets.com/
Memberships are year-round income sources and a way for theatres to flense out people who can be gone back to again when fundraising begins for development projects.
Theatres do not survive on ticket sales alone, at least not when they are that low.
I meant PRICES for tickets being that low, NOT sales volume. oops. 😉
Thank you, but I’m not sure what you mean by “and a way for theatres to flense out people who can be gone back to again when fundraising begins for development projects.”
I understand that memberships are a revenue stream, and from the other perks available, the Barbican scheme seems designed to encourage and reward members over multiple visits, not necessarily a tool to grab up ALL the seats for a single show. The fact that there seems to be no attempt by the Barbican to keep any production from becoming a “members only” event is troubling . In the case of Hamlet, it is especially strange since Mr. Cumberbatch (allegedly) wants the production to be affordable and accessible for all. (8-9% of 10 gbp tickets only available to people falling within a range of unknown criteria is hardly going to be enough for every interested ticket buyer who was unable to afford a membership in order to simply buy tickets.)
Ogg921
“The fact that there seems to be no attempt by the Barbican to keep any production from becoming a “members only” event is troubling ”
I can only repeat: tickets held aside for ATG —ARE— tickets held until sale to the general public.
Total seats for the run of the show exceed 80,000. Even at 6 tickets per, I don’t think the Barbican has enough members to take all of those. A quick check of the booking site shows exactly three sold out shows at the moment: first night, closing night, and what is probably the NTLive broadcast night based on start time change.
“Thank you, but I’m not sure what you mean by “and a way for theatres to flense out people who can be gone back to again when fundraising begins for development projects.” Once one becomes a member of a theatre or museum or the like, one generally becomes the recipient of ‘Your help urgently needed’ fundraising letters, emails, et cetera. After all, they reason, you’ve already shown yourself willing AND capable of ponying up more than the regular ticket price.
Something like 4000 people signed on as subscribers to get first dibs on the tickets, and at least for the dates posted by Naomi on cumberbatchweb, most of the “stall” seats through August (then the site crashed and she was kicked off) are gone. They don’t go on sale to the public until August 11.
The top ticket price was $115.77 U.S. — in U.S. the producers would charge easily $400 for premium seats, there wouldn’t be any 10-pound seats. The prices are extremely good.
It is a huge theater and I do think anyone who wants to see it will be able to. Where in the theater they will see it, I don’t know.
I think people are getting frustrated b/c they wanted the “up close” experience with the stall seats but from what I’ve been reading, though those are pretty booked through the August showings, many are still available for later in the run, and non-stall seats are available as well.
I’ve just bought my tickets and the stalls are almost gone.. I had to book row R for October 2015, the best you could find was a spare row Q seat but I’m going with a friend so we needed two … I didn’t want to be in row A,B,C or D (I don’t own a red membership card), but I thought I could book a good seat in the middle … well no way.
I got Hamlet tickets as an orange member. I went through every date and all stall seats are gone with the exception of a couple at the back and some at the very start or end of further back rows (not recommended as per theatre monkey). Most of the circle is gone too and ALOT of the upper circle gone. I wanted stalls and got circle and not my preferred date either! I bought mine the day tickets were released to Orange members.
All you need to do is press ‘buy tickets’ and you will see what’s left (you won’t be able to purchase them without your red/orange membership number).
Also, there is a lot of tweets suggesting people were able to bypass the selection stage, straight to basket and get tickets due to some link posted on a Russian Sherlock site. Barbican are aware.
Cumberbatchweb mentions on her own personal account that NO tickets have been kept back and that the only tickets kept back have been sold to ATG who will sell them to public soon. I feel bad for the general public release.
I am VERY annoyed at the super fans who continually bang on about fans stalking BC and how disgusting it is, yet these guys have bought all their allocated 6 tickets and intend to go numerous times. No one likes hamlet that much.
The ATG tickets were made available for presale to people who signed up at Sonia Friedman Productions email back before the venue was announced. No membership fee. I got a very nice stall seat (premium) in Row E for 2 days after the Press Night. ATG is a partner with the producer which is how they got the allotment and the early notice. Not sure now how many of those are left but they will be open to general public on Monday along with the regular general sale. And yes, I got better tickets than I got as an Orange Member.
People buying 6 are buying for friends to go with them. Many split the membership fee to do so. I only know of a few people who are going more than once or twice.