Cumberbatch to play Hamlet on London stage

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LONDON (AP) — Benedict Cumberbatch is going from Sherlock to Shakespeare.

London's Barbican Centre said Wednesday he will play Hamlet at the venue next year.

The Lyndsey Turner-directed production of "Hamlet" will run from August to October 2015, and the 12-week stint in the 1,160-seat venue is guaranteed to be a hot ticket. Cumberbatch has gained fans around the world for his role in the BBC TV drama "Sherlock" as cerebral sleuth Sherlock Holmes.

Producer Sonia Friedman called Cumberbatch "one of the most gifted and exciting actors of his generation."

Cumberbatch, who recently appeared onscreen in "The Fifth Estate," ''12 Years a Slave" and "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," won an Olivier theater award for his starring role in "Frankenstein" at Britain's National Theatre in 2011.