Benedict Cumberbatch is seen drenched in sweat with his eyes glittering as he wields a dagger high above his head as Hamlet.
The first photos have emerged of the Sherlock actor’s take on the iconic role at the Barbican in London.
Director Lindsay Turner has appeared to put a modern twist on the Shakespearian play, with Cumberbatch donning jumpers, T-shirts and an anorak.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet in the production of Hamlet at the Barbican centre, London.
One photo of the production sees the 39-year-old sat at a candle-lit table, surrounded by deer antlers and stuffed birds
Other pictures show Cumberbatch dressed for fencing with Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s Laertes and kneeling on the floor with Anastasia Hille, who plays Hamlet’s mother.
Read more: Hamlet reviews - what the critics have said so far
Comment: 'Don't be snobby about Cumberbatch fans'
Eager Cumberbatch fans queue overnight for tickets
Cumberbatch fans have been queuing overnight for tickets for the eagerly-awaited production, which has become one of the fastest-selling shows in British history.
Preview performances started last week to mixed reviews, which were controversially published by some newspapers weeks before the official opening night on 25 August. Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet
Telegraph critic Serena Davies wrote that Cumberbatch “commands and surprises” in what she called a “lavish, epic Hamlet” but the Times was less complimentary.
Giving a rating of two stars, Katie Maltby started her review with the line “Alas, poor Benedict” and condemned the production as ”pure theatrical self-indulgence“.
Daily Mail reviewer Jan Moir praised Cumberbatch's ”Hamlet in a hoodie” as “electrifying“, while the Radio Times said it excelled at ”finding laughs in unexpected places”.
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet in the production of Hamlet at the Barbican centre, London.
Actors including Eddie Marsan, who recently played magician Gilbert Norrell in BBC adaptation Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, was among those taking to Twitter to criticise the early reviews.
The Independent will be publishing its review after the official opening night later this month.
Hamlet will run until 31 October, with Sian Brooke playing Ophelia and Ciaran Hinds as Claudius.
