Die-hard Benedict Cumberbatch fans will be camping overnight to get their hands on coveted tickets to see him play Hamlet at London's Barbican. The Cumberbabes – the actor banned their original name of Cumberbitches – hope to see the run, which goes from 6 August to 31 October.
The tickets sold out within minutes of being offered on the internet in January 2014. However, 30 tickets per day are being sold at a reasonably priced £10. Fans are coming from as far afield as Canada, Japan and Indonesia to see their hero tackle Shakespeare's greatest work.
A limited run of extra tickets have gone on sale for Benedict Cumberbatch's turn as Hamlet
One 19-year-old in the US, Courtney Bowden told the New York Times how she'd overcome a fear of flying for Benedict. Ticket holders have been warned to expect stringent security checks in the Barbican's efforts to beat touts. They should have photo ID and the credit card used for the purchase with them.
Another named Teri Peterson from Wisconsin was taking her first trip overseas for the occasion.
"There’s such an intensity to him that I love. I think he’s an amazing actor, so the chance to see him in a Shakespeare play seemed like one I just couldn’t miss," she told the Guardian. "I just can’t even imagine what it will be like to see him in person.”
The 39-year-old star will be gratified, if slightly bemused by all the excitement surrounding his appearance. Asked about his sex appeal by America's National Public Radio, Benedict said he worked for years before he started making 'most attractive' lists.
"I've been around for ten or 15 years before this happened and I wasn't on any lists of the millionth most attractive," he said. "It's just very flattering and it makes me giggle, as [fans] know, because it is — it's sort of silly. ... I think it is a reflection of the work and hopefully how I come across when I'm talking about the work, rather than what I actually have got."