W&L Presents Screening of the West End’s ‘Hamlet’ The Sept. 9 screening is part of the Lenfest Center’s National Theatre Live Series.

Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role of “Hamlet,” directed by Lyndsey Tuner at The Barbican (2015). Photo by Johan Persson.

The Lenfest Center at Washington and Lee University kicks off its National Theatre Live series with a screening of “Hamlet” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 in Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons.

The screening of “Hamlet” is the next installment of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement (O&E) series. Tickets are required and available online or in-person at the Lenfest Box Office.

W&L’s National Theatre Live series will feature screenings of seven top British theater productions, connecting university knowledge and art experiences on the W&L campus and beyond to the local community in a mutually beneficial partnership. Future screenings from the series include “Vanya” on Oct. 7 and “Present Laughter” on Nov. 4.

As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” 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. Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the titular role and is a “blazing five-star Hamlet,” according to the Daily Telegraph.

Directed by Lyndsey Turner and filmed live from the Barbican in London, this 2015 broadcast returns to international cinemas to mark the 10th anniversary of the Royal National Theatre’s National Theatre Live initiative. Viewers should be aware that strobe lighting is used in the production.

Order your tickets online today or call the Lenfest Center box office at 540-458-8000 for ticket information. Box office hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $20 for general admission and $8 for W&L students.

The National Theatre Live performances are sponsored in part by the Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund.

For a full list of performances, visit the Lenfest Center’s website.

The Lenfest Center for the Arts, home of the Department of Theater, Dance, and Film Studies and the Department of Music and Department of Art and Art History, is a multi-use facility designed and equipped to accommodate a broad spectrum of the performing arts, including theater, musical theater, opera and operetta, choral and band music, dance and performance art in one energizing complex.