Shakespeare's plays – as you like them
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This stormy staple of the Shakespeare canon has appeared in many guises over the decades. But the great Giorgio Strehler's Italian version is Michael Billington's top pick. What's your favourite version?
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This is a searing study of jealousy and a moving account of transformative magic, writes Michael Billington. What's your favourite version?
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The 2001 staging at Shakespeare's Globe, with Mark Rylance tackling a trio of roles, gave clarity to this convoluted play, writes Michael Billington
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Michael Billington: This once-unloved play has become both a study of asylum seekers and a show for kids. It still has a potent theatrical magic
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Laurence Olivier on stage and Ralph Fiennes on film are Michael Billington's favourite versions of this magnificent play
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Nicholas Hytner's staging of this unfashionable play made it a bitter fable about the precariousness of a credit culture, writes Michael Billington
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Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins impressed Michael Billington as lovers embroiled in the sex and politics of this play. But which other double acts have ruled as Shakespeare's power couple?
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Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi and John Wood all excelled in what Kenneth Tynan called a "flawed pyramid of a play". Which other actors have been every inch a king, asks Michael Billington
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From Willard White to Adrian Lester, modern theatre has yielded some terrific Othellos – but none more so than Chiwetel Ejiofor, writes Michael Billington
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Once regarded as salacious, Shakespeare's tale of seduction and the abuse of power has proved a natural fit for modern times, writes Michael Billington
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The tale of a poor physician's daughter who cures a king and claims a husband as reward sits well with modern gender politics. Here are my favourite stagings, writes Michael Billington
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Michael Billington: To mark Shakespeare's 450th birthday we're choosing our favourite stagings of his plays. This tragedy has come into its own in today's war-weary times, yielding many fine revivals. Which have you loved?
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Michael Billington: To mark the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth we're choosing our favourite versions of his plays. Here's a handful of the finest Hamlets
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Michael Billington: This comedy demands a balance between laughter and pain – and needs a strong, all-round ensemble. Here's a handful of stagings to celebrate
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By setting this play in a modern African state, the RSC's Gregory Doran gave its debate new urgency. Which versions of Julius Caesar have you hailed?
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From Robert Stephens and Maggie Smith to Simon Russell Beale and Zoë Wanamaker, countless duos have sparred as Benedick and Beatrice. What's your favourite version of the play?
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From Ben Kingsley's Ford to Bill Alexander's 50s-era staging, Shakespeare's only purely English comedy perfectly captures middle-class mores. Let us know the best versions you've seen, writes Michael Billington
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Michael Billington recalls a feast of Falstaffs including Joss Ackland, David Warner and Orson Welles. Tell us your favourite versions of these state-of-the-nation plays
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Peter O'Toole, Patrick Stewart and Antony Sher have all made stunning Shylocks – which versions of this problematic play have you been sold on?
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This enchanting comedy has been revived many times yet the play gives constant pleasure. Peter Brook and Michael Boyd's versions both had a magical sensuality, writes Michael Billington
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Shakespeare's poorly plotted tragedy turns on the shortcomings of the Veronese postal service and is eclipsed by West Side Story – yet the best productions overcome these defects, writes Michael Billington
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David Tennant, Samuel West and Ian Richardson have all excelled in the role but Ben Whishaw's king was extraordinary – part Jesus Christ and part Michael Jackson
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Some take this story of the wavering king more seriously than others. Do you share Michael Billington's grudging affection for this unloved play?
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One of Shakespeare's most sublime comedies took Bernard Levin to the heights of ecstasy, apparently. How was it for you, asks Michael Billington
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Productions of Shakespeare's early play on love and rivalry should be commonplace: in practice, Crab the dog is the best thing in it. Help Michael Billington find the best productions
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It's the 'barbaric, disgusting play' that Michael Billington once demanded never be performed again. But, as well as its characters, is there a chance of redemption for the play itself?
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This perfectly plotted play can be pure magic – especially with a cast including Judi Dench and Richard Griffiths. What's your favourite version?
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As a schoolboy Michael Billington was dazzled by Peter Brook's Stratford staging with Laurence Olivier. Which versions of the play have stayed with you?
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Michael Billington is still haunted by Antony Sher and Laurence Olivier's portrayals. Which versions of the play have you enjoyed the most?
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The complete trilogy – as staged over the years by Terry Hands, Michael Bogdanov and Michael Boyd – made a lasting impression on Michael Billington. Which are your favourite versions?
Best Shakespeare productions: what's your favourite Henry VIII?