Last weekend I took on the mammoth task of sorting my theatre programmes - all six plastic storage boxes.

As I sorted through them, memories tumbled through my mind... actors crowded into my mind's eye singing, acting, crying, laughing, going up on wires, falling down dead.I realised I have been lucky enough to see some fantastic performances that will stay with me for a long time - of course I have seen performances that have completely faded from my memory, by quite a few name performers too!

Well Constant Reader, you know how I just *love* doing lists... so here they are, in alphabetical order... the best Shakespearean performances I have been lucky enough to see -

BEST ACTORSimon Russell Beale as "Hamlet" (2000)
Simon Russell Beale as 'Benedick' in "Much Ado About Nothing" (2008)Simon Russell Beale as 'Iago' in "Othello" (1997)Ian Charleson as "Hamlet' (1989)Michael Gambon as "King Lear" (1983)Henry Goodman as 'Shylock' in "The Merchant of Venice" (1999)Ian Holm as "King Lear" (1997)Derek Jacobi as 'Malvolio' in "Twelfth Night" (2008)Adrian Lester as "Henry V" (2003)Ian McKellen as "Richard III" (1990)

BEST ACTRESS
Brenda Blethyn as 'Helena' in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1983)Susan Fleetwood as 'Titania' in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1983)Geraldine James as 'Portia' in "The Merchant of Venice" (1989)Vanessa Redgrave as 'Cleopatra' in "Antony and Cleopatra" (1986)Vanessa Redgrave as 'Katherine' in "The Taming of The Shrew" (1986)Emma Thompson as 'Helena' in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1990)Sophie Thompson as 'Rosalind' in "As You Like It" (1990)Sophie Thompson as 'Isabella' in "Measure For Measure" (2004)Zoe Wanamaker as 'Beatrice' in "Much Ado About Nothing" (2008)
Emily Watson as 'Viola' in "Twelfth Night" (2002)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTORDavid Bamber as 'Pandarus' in "Troilus and Cressida" (1999)
Michael Bryant as 'Polonius' in "Hamlet" (1989)
Ron Cook as 'Polonius' in "Hamlet" (2009)Finbar Lynch as 'Enobarbus' in "Antony and Cleopatra" (1998)Finbar Lynch as 'Edmund' in "King Lear" (1997)Kevin McNally as 'Polonius' in "Hamlet" (2009)Derek Newark as 'Bottom' in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1983)Jack Shepherd as 'Puck' in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1983)
Antony Sher as 'The Fool' in "King Lear" (1983)Clive Wood as 'Edmund' in "King Lear" (1983)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Maureen Beattie as 'Emilia' in "Othello" (1997)Sinead Cusack as 'Paulina' in "A Winter's Tale" (2009)
Judi Dench as 'Gertrude' in "Hamlet" (1989)Deborah Findlay as 'Paulina' in "A Winter's Tale" (2001)Barbara Flynn as 'Goneril' in "King Lear" (1997)
Clare Higgins as 'Queen Elizabeth' in "Richard III" (1990)Sara Kestelman as 'Goneril' in "King Lear" (1983)
Helen McCrory as 'Olivia' in "Twelfth Night" (2002)Siobhan Redmond as 'Goneril' in "King Lear" (1990)
Sophie Thompson as 'Ophelia' in "Hamlet" (1988)