NT Live's Benedict Cumberbatch-Led HAMLET Broadcast Breaks Records

Yesterday's October 15th live international broadcast of Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of Lyndsey Turner's production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet was seen by more than 225,000 people, making it the largest global audience for a live broadcast day of any title in National Theatre Live history.

The broadcast played on over 1,400 screens and in 25 countries on a live or time shifted basis. In addition to English subtitles for international markets, the program was delivered live with Swedish subtitles, and for the first time on a live basis, Russian subtitles.

For information on encore screenings, visit www.NTLive.com. Hamlet is produced in London through October 31st by Sonia Friedman Productions and presented by the Barbican.

Prior to the broadcast Benedict Cumberbatch said "It feels truly thrilling to be opening up our theatre production of Hamlet to the wider reach of a National Theatre Live audience. The idea that people who can't get to the theatre, for whatever reason, can join us for one night in cinemas around the country -- and indeed the world -- is extraordinary. Each screening will doubtless have its own atmosphere, but wherever you're watching, thanks to the brilliance of the National Theatre Live team, you'll be right at the heart of the action, in the best seat in the house."

As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father's death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.

The full cast of Hamlet is: Barry Aird (Soldier), Eddie Arnold (Danish Captain, Servant), Leo Bill (Horatio), Siân Brooke (Ophelia), Nigel Carrington (Servant, Cornelius), Ruairi Conaghan (Player King), Benedict Cumberbatch (HAMLET), Rudi Dharmalingam (Guildenstern), Colin Haigh (Priest, Messenger), Paul Ham (Official), Diveen Henry (Player Queen, Messenger), Anastasia Hille (Gertrude), Ciarán Hinds (Claudius), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Laertes), Karl Johnson (Ghost of Hamlet's father), Jim Norton (Polonius), Amaka Okafor (Official), Dan Parr (Barnardo), Jan Shepherd (Courtier), Morag Siller (Voltemand), Matthew Steer (Rosencrantz), Sergo Vares (Fortinbras) and Dwane Walcott (Marcellus).

Set designs are by Es Devlin with costume designs by Katrina Lindsay, video by Luke Halls, lighting by Jane Cox, music by Jon Hopkins, sound by Christopher Shutt, movement by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and fights by Bret Yount.

Benedict Cumberbatch is an international multi-award winning theatre, television and film actor. His recent stage credits for the National Theatre include After the Dance and alternating the Creature and Dr Frankenstein, in Danny Boyle's production of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for which he won the Olivier, Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Best Actor awards. He is currently best known for playing the title role in the BBC's "Sherlock" and will be seen next year as Richard III in The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses. His film work includes Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Star Trek into Darkness, 12 Years a Slave, The Fifth Estate, August: Osage County and the role of Smaug in The Hobbit trilogy. Cumberbatch has been nominated for BAFTA, Golden Globe and Academy Awards for his role playing Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

Lyndsey Turner's directing credits include Fathers and Sons and Philadelphia, Here I Come! for the Donmar Warehouse, Machinal for the Roundabout Theatre, Chimerica at the Almeida and in the West End, Posh for the Royal Court and in the West End, There Is A War and Edgar and Annabel for the National Theatre, Alice and The Way Of The World for Sheffield Theatres and Our Private Life, Contractions, A Miracle for the Royal Court. Turner was recently appointed as an Associate Director for the National Theatre where she will direct Light Shining in Buckinghamshire in April.

Sonia Friedman Productions, founded in 2002, is a West End and Broadway Production Company responsible for some of the most successful theatre productions in London and on Broadway over the past few years. SFP has developed, initiated and produced over 140 new productions and has won numerous Olivier and Tony Awards, including a record-breaking 14 at the 2014 Olivier Awards (Best New Musical, Best New Play, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play, among others). Their recent West End and Broadway theatre productions and co-productions include: the UK premiere of The Book of Mormon, Jez Butterworth's The River on Broadway, starring Hugh Jackman, Sunny Afternoon, Shakespeare in Love, The Nether, Electra, King Charles III, Jerusalem, Ghosts, Mojo, Chimerica, Twelfth Night & Richard III and Old Times. In addition to SFP's Theatre Projects Sonia is also Executive Producer, alongside Playground Entertainment, on the up-coming television adaptation of Ronald Harwood's The Dresser starring Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen, to be directed by Richard Eyre for the BBC. She is also a co-producer on the six-part mini-series adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall for the BBC and Masterpiece co-produced with Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures.

Now celebrating its 7th year broadcasting live performances to cinema screens internationally, National Theatre Live has now been experienced by over 4 million people worldwide. The first season began in June 2009 with the acclaimed production of Phédre starring Helen Mirren. In addition to the record-breaking broadcast of The Audience starring Helen Mirren as The Queen, recent broadcasts have included the Donmar Warehouse production of Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston, in the title role; the Young Vic's production of A Streetcar Named Desire with Gillian Anderson; Skylight from the West End with Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan; the Young Vic production of A View from the Bridge starring Mark Strong; George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman starring Ralph Fiennes; and Everyman starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Watch the trailer for Hamlet below!