British actor Benedict Cumberbatch plays Shakespeare's Hamlet on the stage in London. [Photo: agencies]

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch has pleaded with fans outside the Barbican theatre in London not to film his stage performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

In a video shot outside the stage door, Sherlock star Cumberbatch told a crowd of supporters about "cameras and red lights" he spotted in the audience.

The actor is starring in a 12-week run of the play.

Although on-the-day tickets have been made available, the 100,000 advance tickets were snapped up in minutes when they were released in August last year.

Some tickets are currently being offered for up to ?650 on secondary-ticketing sites.

Cumberbatch is not the first actor to have criticised fans for using mobile phones during a performance.

In 2013, James McAvoy scolded an audience member whom he caught filming his performance of Macbeth at Trafalgar Studios.