News — Benedict Cumberbatch

"Lynnette Porter is the editor of Sherlock Holmes for the 21st Century: Essays on New Adaptations. Here she surveys Cumberbatch’s career as an actor, touching on his extra-curricular life only to the extent that it influences his acting or is influenced by the transition from jobbing actor to star to celebrity. The facts are meticulously (but not tediously) referenced, and the writing is both literate and engaging. Sherlock is the turning-point, but it’s good to be reminded of the extent and importance of the actor’s career, before, during and after the breakthrough to stardom: acclaimed rôles in Rhinoceros and Hedda Gabler at the Royal Court, After the Dance at...

"Written by Lynnette Porter and published by MX Publishing, Benedict Cumberbatch – In Transition: An Unauthorised Performance Biography is no ordinary biography as we know it from most other celebrity biographies. The author focuses almost entirely on the career of Benedict and gives an overview of his projects, backed by numerous quotations and anecdotes. The book begins, after a long introduction, with Benedict’s childhood and his education at Harrow, Manchester and LAMDA, and includes some very nice quotes from his mother, Wanda Ventham. We, as theater fans, are delighted that the chapter on his career in the theatre is especially...

"When I was a young teenager, I was utterly besotted with Prince William. What can I say? While my friends were eagerly snapping up magazines featuring N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys, I bought a short and fairly abysmal unauthorised biography of the royal heir. I didn’t care; it was something. Thankfully, Benedict Cumberbatch fans of any age no longer have to face the indignity of wasting money on shoddy prose. Benedict Cumberbatch, In Transition is an exhaustively-annotated and impressively-detailed account of a young actor’s career. Some might ask if now is the time for such a book, releasing arguably nearer the...

“Benedict Cumberbatch In Transition – An Unauthorised Biography. A Review. Can a simple title say it all? In this particular case, it can and it is a joy. Benedict’s career is indeed in transition at the present moment in time (when I’m writing we are just a few days ahead of the Star Trek Into Darkness Premiere in London) and, in less than four years,he has metamorphosed from a very talented BBC actor to a sought-after international star. If you expect a mere unauthorised biography here, you will be disappointed. As already thoroughly explained by Sherlockology and by the author herself in...

Of the thousands of images of Benedict Cumberbatch author Lynnette Porter has chosen this one for her performance biography of the actor which comes out in June. A leading designer has been chosen for the cover which the publisher’s say will be “very special and a unique concept”.  Benedict Cumberbatch, In Transition has been described by the author’s agent Uwe as ‘a labour of love’ with a quite incredible attention to detail. Porter has published several very heavily researched books to date, and this one runs to 350 pages. Certainly one for the more serious Cumberbatch fans. Porter is a big fan...