British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has been giving speeches every evening after his Hamlet performance at the Barbican in London, asking for donations to help Syrian refugees. Recently, his frustration with the situation has become more evident – reportedly adding “F–k the politicians” at the end of one of his speeches.
On Tuesday Cumberbatch mentioned the “utter disgrace of the British government” for not doing enough to help in the crisis. The U.K. has pledged to resettle only 20,000 Syrian refugees over 5 years.
“Out of nowhere came this ‘F*** the politicians’ remark,” one audience member told the Daily Mail. “It’s not quite what you’d expect when you go for an evening with the bard, but it got a few cheers.”
The actor has also reportedly told theatergoers about a friend’s experience volunteering on the Greek island of Lesbos, a key transit point in the migrant crisis.
“Everywhere on the horizon there was nothing but boats and on the shoreline nothing but lifejackets,” he said, according to the Guardian. “We are saying, as citizens of the world, we see you … and at least some help is coming.”
Donations from the Hamlet audience have so far raised more than $230,000 for Save the Children.
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