WhatsOnStage Awards 2016: Full winners list

The 2016 WhatsOnStage Awards took place last night (21st February) at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Hamlet and Gypsy led the awards this year with four victories each – Hamlet won for Benedict Cumberbatch in the Best Actor in a Play category, Best Play Revival, Best Set Design and Best Lighting Design with Gypsy picking up Best Actress in a Musical for Imelda Staunton, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Lara Pulver, Best Musical Revival and Best Direction for Jonathan Kent.

Just behind Hamlet and Gypsy is Kinky Boots which received awards for Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical for Matt Henry, who also performed 'Hold Me in Your Heart', and Best Choreography for Jerry Mitchell.

GOSSIP: Andrew Scott to play Hamlet?

According to the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye, Sherlock/Spectre actor Andrew Scott is in "advanced discussions" to play Hamlet.

Bamigboye reports Scott is hoping to play the role at the Almeida Theatre, but stresses that dates are still being negotiated. 

The production could be staged in late 2016 or in early 2017. Please remember nothing has been confirmed.

Review: Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Hamlet
Barbican Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 26th August 2015
★★★★

It's the show everyone's talking about, but does Lyndsey Turner’s production of Hamlet live up to the hype? Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet is certainly triumphant; he takes to the stage with great intensity, giving a compellingly focused performance.

Production images released for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Production images have been released for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Check out the images below (click picture to enlarge).

The production officially opens at the Barbican Theatre on 25th August (currently in previews) and runs until 31st October 2015. Set design is by Es Devlin with video design by Luke Halls. Hamlet will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on Thursday 15th October 2015 as part of National Theatre Live. Click here to find out details about £10 tickets for Hamlet.

The production also stars: They join the previously announced Leo Bill as Horatio, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude, Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Jim Norton as Polonius.

Rehearsal images released for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Rehearsal images have been released for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Check out the images below (click picture to enlarge).

The production opens at the Barbican Theatre on 25th August (previews from 5th August) for a limited run until 31st October 2015. Set design is by Es Devlin with video design by Luke Halls. Hamlet will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on Thursday 15th October 2015 as part of National Theatre Live. Click here to find out details about £10 tickets for Hamlet.

The production also stars: They join the previously announced Leo Bill as Horatio, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude, Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Jim Norton as Polonius.

Full casting announced for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

With rehearsals beginning today (15th June 2015), full casting has been announced for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. 

Completing the cast are: Barry Aird (Soldier), Eddie Arnold (Danish Captain, Servant), Nigel Carrington (Servant, Cornelius), Ruairi Conaghan (Player King), Rudi Dharmalingam (Guildenstern), Colin Haigh (Priest, Messenger), Paul Ham (Official), Diveen Henry (Player Queen, Messenger), Karl Johnson (Ghost of Hamlet’s father), Amaka Okafor (Official), Dan Parr (Barnardo), Jan Shepherd (Courtier), Morag Siller (Voltemand), Matthew Steer (Rosencrantz), Sergo Vares (Fortinbras) and Dwane Walcott (Marcellus).

They join the previously announced Leo Bill as Horatio, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude, Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Jim Norton as Polonius.

Details announced for £10 tickets to Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Sonia Friedman Productions, in partnership with Sky Arts, has allocated 100 £10 tickets, spread throughout the auditorium for every performance of Lyndsey Turner’s production of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role at the Barbican Theatre from 5th August 2015.

60 of the Sky Arts £10 tickets will be sold in advance via the Barbican website in an on-line ticket ballot and 30 will be available each day as day-seats. The final 10 will be sold via a select number of charities who work with under-privileged young people. In total, there will be over 8,500 £10 seats made available for this production during the run. 

From 10am on Friday 29th May and until 10am on Tuesday 16th June 2015, the general public will have the opportunity to enter the lottery ticket ballot by visiting www.hamlet.barbican.org.uk to apply for up to 2 tickets. On Friday 19th June 2015 the successful applicants will be notified by email with further information about how to purchase their winning tickets from Monday 22nd June onwards.

CONFIRMED: Further casting revealed for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Further casting has been confirmed for Lyndsey Turner’s production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Joining the cast are: Leo Bill as Horatio, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude, Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Jim Norton as Polonius.

The production opens at the Barbican Theatre on 25th August (previews from 5th August) for a limited run until 31st October 2015.

The run of Hamlet is currently sold out; however 100 tickets at £10 for each performance will be avaliable. In addition, from time to time, small numbers of tickets may be returned for advance sale online.

Details announced for NT Live broadcast of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Following reports, it has been confirmed that Lyndsey Turner’s production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on Thursday 15th October 2015 as part of National Theatre Live. 

Produced by Sonia Friedman, Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role in the production which opens at the Barbican Theatre on 25th August (previews from 5th August) for a limited run until 31st October 2015. 

The National Theatre’s project, NT Live, broadcasts plays live from the stage to over 550 cinemas in the UK and over 44 countries internationally. Tickets for the Hamlet NT Live will go on sale on 16th March 2015. 

GOSSIP: NT Live to broadcast Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch?

According to the Daily Mail, NT Live are in negotiations to broadcast next year's sold out production of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch at the Barbican to cinemas around the world.

Baz Bamigboye claims discussions between NT Live and producer Sonia Friedman are "well advanced".  Lyndsey Turner’s production opens at the Barbican Theatre on Tuesday 25th August 2014 (previews from 5th August) and runs until Saturday 31st October 2015.

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. 

Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch releases first official images

Tickets for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch go on public sale on Monday 11th August 2014 at 10am (priority booking for Barbican members begins today).

The show opens at the Barbican Theatre on Tuesday 25th August 2014 (previews from 5th August) and runs until Saturday 31st October 2015. Take a look at official images below (click picture to enlarge). Hamlet has set design is by Es Devlin and is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions. Further casting and details for this production will be announced at a later date.

Benedict Cumberbatch in talks to play Hamlet next year

According to the Daily Mail, Benedict Cumberbatch is in talks to play the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet next year, following in the footsteps of Ben Whishaw, Jude Law, Simon Russell Beale, Mark Rylance, David Tennant and John Simm.

Benedict was last seen on stage in Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein in 2011 at the National Theatre. Producer Sonia Friedman confirmed that she is in "active discussions" with Benedict and director Lyndsey Turner, who most recently directed Chimerica which transferred to the West End from the Almeida Theatre (and is also produced by Sonia Friedman).