Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet at Barbican sells out in record time

 
Hot ticket: Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch helped demand for Hamlet soar
Daniel Obrien13 August 2014

Benedict Cumberbatch’s starring role as Hamlet has become the fastest-selling ticket in London theatre history with advance seats selling out in minutes almost a year before the curtain rises, it was claimed today.

Fans hoping to catch the Sherlock star’s 12-week run as the Danish prince next summer swamped the Barbican Theatre’s website when tickets went on sale at 10am yesterday.

By 1.30pm, would-be theatre-goers found themselves 30,000 places from the front of the online queue for the 100,000 tickets available.

Moments after the box office opened, director Lyndsey Turner’s forthcoming production became the most searched-for event on ticket website Viagogo — beating Beyoncé and Jay Z’s On The Run tour — with tickets being offered for resale at £350.

A Viagogo spokesman said: “Cumberbatch’s Hamlet has stolen the title of the most in-demand theatre show of all time, with ticket searches going through the roof.”

As hopes of bagging an elusive ticket grew ever more distant, fans took to Twitter to vent their frustration.

Penny Jacquie tweeted: “Good Lord! Number of users in queue ahead of you: 34,324.”

After tickets sold out, Kayla Ramos spoke for many when she wrote: “Excuse me while I go cry for the rest of my life since there is no chance of me seeing Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet.”

There is still hope for those left disappointed. The theatre is holding back 100 tickets for each performance at £10 a head.

Hamlet runs from August 5 to October 31 next year.

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