Triumphant Benedict Cumberbatch leaves the theatre with his arm around wife Sophie Hunter following 'electrifying' Hamlet debut

Triumphant Benedict Cumberbatch leaves the theatre with his arm around wife Sophie Hunter following 'electrifying' Hamlet debut
By KATE THOMAS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 07:21 GMT, 6 August 2015 | UPDATED: 09:34 GMT, 6 August 2015

His performance in Hamlet has been lauded as 'electrifying' and 'epic' by critics.
And Benedict Cumberbatch was on a high as he left The Barbican theatre in London alongside his wife Sophie Hunter on Wednesday night following his debut performance in Lyndsey Turner's new production of Shakespeare's iconic tragedy.
The 39-year-old actor couldn't hold back his excitement, grinning to himself and placing a loving arm around his partner, with whom he welcomed a baby boy in June.

Benedict was dressed down in navy chinos, a matching cardigan and a light blue shirt as he exited the theatre, only to be greeted by an army of cheering fans.

Visibly thrilled with the positive response from his loyal supporters, Benedict weaved his way over to his waiting car, clutching Sophie's hand protectively.
The new mum, who tied the knot with the A-list actor in a romantic ceremony on Valentine's Day in February, was sporting a sheer leopard print blouse and smart black trousers

Benedict cuddled up to Sophie in the back of the vehicle, leaning in for a celebratory kiss as they sped off.
The actor's star turn as tragic hero Hamlet has received largely positive reviews from critics so far.
The Daily Mail’s Jan Moir gave the production five stars and said the Oscar-nominee was ‘electrifying’ in his ‘Hamlet in a hoodie’.

The Telegraph’s Serena Davies said director Lyndsey Turner and designer Es Devlin have ‘created a lavish, epic Hamlet for the Barbican’s vast stage’.
However, Katie Maltby of The Times was not so impressed. She gave the production two stars, calling it ‘Shakespeare for the kids’ and ‘a waste’.
But her thoughts were not shared by many of the members of the public who took to Twitter to praise the British actor.
Yasmin Kaye wrote: ‘#BenedictCumberbatch was electrifying as #Hamlet #hamlet barbican’, while another tweeted: ‘Thrilled to have been at the First Night of #Hamlet! #BenedictCumberbatch #Barbican. We gave him a #standingovulation.. #GreatFunYouKnow’.


And Andrea Williams added: ‘Benedict’s #Hamlet : electrifying.’
Hamlet is at London's Barbican theatre until October 31. The play has been sold out for nearly a year, but it will be screened live in Vue cinemas nationwide from October 15.
Tickets are on sale now at myvue.com and it will be the world’s first live 4k transmission to multiple cinemas. There will also be two encores at Vue cinemas across the UK on the 22 and 29 October.
This marks Benedict's first time treading the boards since his performance in National Theatre’s Frankenstein in 2011.
He follows in the footsteps of stars like Mel Gibson and David Tennant, who have all taken on Shakespeare's tragic hero in the past.