Lyndsey Turner directs Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre.

Best known for his screen roles in Sherlock and The Hobbit, Cumberbatch will take to the stage as the Danish prince following recent performances in Frankenstein and After The Dance at the National Theatre.

Shakespeare’s great tragedy follows Hamlet as he is forced to avenge his father’s death. Paralysed by the task ahead, he rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.

The production is directed by Olivier Award winner Turner, who picked up the 2014 Best Director Olivier Award for her critically acclaimed production of Chimerica, which opened at the Almeida Theatre before transferring to the West End. The director’s other London credits include Posh at the Royal Court and in the West End, and Philadelphia, Here I Come! at the Donmar Warehouse.