Benedict Cumberbatch asks fans not to film Hamlet

Benedict Cumberbatch is the latest performer to encounter his wit’s end over witless people who insist on using their cell phones in theaters.

Press night is not until later this month but initial reviews have been mixed, with some critics praising Cumberbatch’s “Hamlet in a hoody” and others branding it “Shakespeare for kids”. That is a terrible way to police what’s a wonderful thing’.

Wow, wow, wow, Benedict is such a serious artist that he isn’t even familiar with the concept of a smart phone.

However, the immensely popular Sherlock actor’s tone was somber, as he made a special plea to the group, addressing “all these cameras, all these phones, everyone filming me”.

He urged people to instead remember the performance in their “minds and brains” before warning the theatre would become far stricter in future performances. “There’s nothing less supportive or enjoyable for an actor being on stage than experiencing that”.

“What I really want to do is try and enlist you”, he said. Because the production is undergoing a technical preview, Cumberbatch addressed theatergoers outside of the Barbican theater to stop filming during his performance.

On Saturday, the British actor spoke to fans outside the Barbican in London, where he is set to play Hamlet until 31 October.

He said: “It’s been a hell of a week – one damn thing after another”.

A spokesman for the show’s production company said it had “nothing to add”.

In April 2013, the actor apparently shouted at a man to put his device away when he saw him filming.

Described as the hottest ticket in town, 100,000 advance tickets were sold within minutes when they were released in August previous year. Cumberbatch who returned to the stage after his “Frankenstein” appearance in 2011 is now playing the lead in Lyndsey Turner’s “Hamlet” which has managed to grab everyone’s attention for more than one reason.