Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesHere's some news that may make Sherlock fans' pupils dilate ...
Benedict Cumberbatch appears to be the hottest ticket in town in his native United Kingdom and may even be more popular than Beyoncé and Jay Z, according to a report by ticketing website Viagogo. The baritone-voiced British star is set to begin a 12-week run as the star of Hamlet at London's Barbican Theatre a year from now, and the production has already become the most in-demand theater show in the country, the outlet said on Twitter.
The revival of William Shakespeare's classic play runs from Aug. 5, 2015 (starting with previews) to Oct. 31, 2015 and tickets went on sale this past Monday. The show is almost sold out. Viagogo says that hours after tickets were made available, there were 214 percent more searches for Hamlet than queries for Beyoncé & Jay Z's 2014 On the Run tour, which recently ended its U.S. run (see photos) and made more than $100 million, according to Forbes.
As of Thursday, Viagogo has a few tickets left for a handful of Hamlet shows, at a whopping minimum price of $583 apiece (more than five times their original maximum retail price), while the show is sold out elsewhere. None are available via the Barbican Theatre's website or on another popular ticketing portal, londontheatre.co.uk.
Cumberbatch, who commands a massive fan following online, has acted onstage before and is best known for his title role in BBC's Sherlock series, which has earned him three Emmy nominations, including one this year (check out a full list of 2014 Emmy nominees). He is also the voice of Smaug the dragon in The Hobbit movies.
Last year, he appeared in four Oscar-nominated films—Star Trek Into Darkness (in which he showcased some sweet dance moves in a behind-the-scenes clip featured on the DVD), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, August: Osage County and 12 Years a Slave, which won Best Picture.