One day, a friend who was directing a student version of "Hamlet" pleaded with him to replace the actor playing Claudius, who had dropped out.

To Black-Eyed Susan's Hamlette, he played Gertrude, Claudius and the Ghost of Hamlette's father.

Richard Easton, playing Claudius, sniffs: "Hamlet's a loser.

I was also at school with the actor John Shrapnel and played Claudius to his Hamlet.

"I'm trying to talk Steve Martin into playing Claudius," he said.

In 2008, he played Claudius in Hamlet.

He would play Claudius in Hamlet finely, only the part would give him no chance of making the 'points' he makes so well.

In 1922, he played Claudius in John Barrymore's groundbreaking production of Hamlet.

Mr. Kouyate also plays Claudius, while Yoshi Oida, a Japanese actor in the Noh tradition, is Guildenstern.

In 1975, he returned to "Hamlet," this time playing Claudius, alongside Sam Waterson and John Lithgow.