In the past week, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have signed on to separate London stage plays.
The stage is a place of joy for Freeman and Cumberbatch. Neither of the two actors are performing in a play for their first time, and unfortunately these projects won’t make Sherlock series 4 come any sooner.
Freeman, who plays Sherlock’s sidekick Watson on the BBC detective drama and has the lead role of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film trilogy, will play Richard III from July through September at Trafalgar Studios. Freeman last appeared on stage in the 2010 play Clybourne Park. Tickets reportedly go on sale within the next week.
Meanwhile, Cumberbatch will play Hamlet in the latest stage run next year at the Barbican Theatre. Performances will kick off in August 2015 and run for three months.
Unfortunately, extra projects mean extra waits for Sherlock series 4. After hearing that the show may be fast-tracked for another run at the end of 2014 in time for the holiday season, a later report suggested that it will be a two-year wait just like it has been for each season so far.
Related: 10 moments in Sherlock series 3 you missed because you don’t read the books
In addition to these stage plays, it’s inevitable that Cumberbatch and Freeman will have other film projects on hand to further delay Sherlock series 4’s start date. During numerous interviews over the past year series creator Steven Moffat has admitted that the popularity of the two men has affected their ability to film at a quicker pace.
Thanks to The Independent and Deadline for the play information.