Media Relations

Carleton College is very pleased to present the next installment of its collaboration with National Theatre Live on Sunday, Nov. 8 with a not-to-be-missed screening of the Barbican Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” starring renowned British actor Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role and staged by Lyndsey Turner. Due to popular demand, there will be two screenings at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Weitz Center for Creativity Cinema. Both screenings are free and open to the public; no reservations are required. In Shakespeare’s classic drama, a country arms itself for war and a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralyzed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state. In the lead role, Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Shakespeare’s doomed hero has been called “…an absorbing performance, crammed with nuance and flickering dark wit, and at times radiating an unnerving intensity” (Chicago Tribune). One of the most highly anticipated theatrical productions in recent history, Cumberbatch’s 12-week run as Hamlet at London’s legendary Barbican Theatre solid out in record time and was the hottest ticket in town—and around the globe. The screening of “Hamlet” is a re-broadcast of a previously recorded live performance on Oct. 15, 2015. National Theatre Live is the National Theatre's groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theatre live from the London stage to cinemas across the UK and around the world. Learn more about this groundbreaking experience at ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk. "Carleton has acquired the technology to make it possible to screen National Theatre Live broadcasts, as well as other important performing arts events," reports Steve Richardson, Director of the Arts. This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Department of English and the Department of Medieval and Renaissance Studies. For more information, including disability accommodations, please call (507) 222-4202. The Weitz Center for Creativity is located at Third and College Streets in Northfield.