From Bard To Verse (BBC3)

THERE'S a showbiz saying that inside every comedian, there's a serious actor who wants to play Hamlet. Usually, funny men aren't trusted further than playing the often-unrewarding comic roles in Shakespeare.

This series remedies the situation and allows comedians, as well as "proper" actors and actresses, to wander around the bard's plays. They can take their pick from leading or supporting roles - and don't even have to play their own gender.

The whole series is packaged into 15-minute segments, each comprising ten or 11 different speeches and sonnets. If you want the whole play, you'll have to go to see the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon.

The results are, inevitably, a mixed bag. The successful performers come away with valuable audition tapes displaying their Shakespearean prowess, which they can use as calling cards to persuade theatre directors to employ them.

The rest can return to their normal day job of making people laugh and forget about those dreams of going straight.

The acting encompasses the good, the bad and the "don't call us and we won't call you". Your reaction depends on how you like your bard spoken, to sound like verse or more conversational. Some are more comfortable speaking verse than others. Several speeches are delivered as raps.

The words are spoken directly to camera, with the performers in modern dress - jeans and trainers rather than tights and ruffs.

Some are filmed in natural settings - The League Of Gentleman's Mark Gatiss in a park, ex-Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley on a bus, Royle Family's Ralf Little in a football stadium and Little Britain's David Walliams in a classroom. Others are superimposed on computer generated backgrounds of swirls and colours.

One benefit for would-be Gielguds is that they get to play roles for which they wouldn't normally be considered. Impressionist Alistair McGowan is too old to be a credible star-crossed lover on stage but can get away with doing one of Romeo's speeches in isolation.

It was odd, though, to see McGowan and fellow impersonator Ronni Ancona playing Romeo and Cleopatra rather than Posh and Becks. There's versatility for you.

Lisa Riley is surprisingly effective as both Troilus and Portia, while David Walliams switches from the comedy of Malvolio in Twelfth Night to magician Prospero in The Tempest.

The three members of the company allowed to play Hamlet - Simon Pegg, Mark Lamarr and Stephen Tompkinson - acquit themselves well. I reckon that, given the chance, Shaun Of The Dead star Pegg would make an interesting stab at the Prince of Denmark.

Bad Manners, University of Northumbria, Newcastle

FROM the moment Buster Bloodvessel poked his tongue out on Top of The Pops back in 1980, Bad Manners' brand of ska pop gave them hit after hit, and they still remain a popular live act.

Back in the North-East, promoting their current album Stupidity, they attract a full house and Special Brew, Lip Up Fatty and My Girl Lollipop still sound fresh 20-odd years after they first dented the top ten.

Bad Manners are the ultimate party band, but when songs like Samson And Delilah are aired you are reminded how good these guys actually are - it is no wonder they spent 111 weeks in the singles chart alone.

And they have a future, as they are on the new Scooby-Doo film soundtrack, a four CD box-set is in the pipeline and there is talk of a 2 Tone-style UK tour along with The Beat and one or two members of The Specials.

Christopher Wardell