In my last blog post before Christmas, I thought I'd leave you with a Shakespearean Christmas quotation from Love's Labours Lost:

At Christmas I no more desire a rose

Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth;

But like of each thing that in season grows.

This passage might seem out of context for readers living in warmer climates. For me in the UK, as I stare at the ice creeping up my office window, it makes perfect sense. Let's enjoy winter for its festive cheer, and spring for its mirth.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope Santa is kind to you.

School pupils are now revising for their Shakespeare exams by putting their feet up and listening to their iPods.

A new UK company called Revise Learning has worked with schools to write and record music based on the GCSE curriculum. Classic texts are now available in rock, rap, R&B and pop music formats and around 40 schools have already signed up.

Interestingly, the new revision aids have been picked up by a number of Pupil Referal Units (PRU) which deal with excluded and disaffected teenagers - this project is particularly well suited to these types of students and is a great way to enable them to access Shakespeare for the first time.

In an age when many teenage school pupils don't have the inclination to open a book, I think it's great to see a project promoting Shakespeare through the channels they understand. Perhaps this could even lead to new ways of teaching Shakespeare. Well done, Revise Learning.

Photo © InFocus Multimedia

On a recent visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, I spent some time looking around the new Hall of Fame. Some classic names have earned a rightful place including Ben Jonson and David Garrick. Some modern faces have also found their way into the Hall of Fame: David Tennant for his groundbreaking RSC performance of Hamlet, Kenneth Branagh for bringing the Bard to the big screen ... and even Leonardo DiCaprio for making Shakespeare cool.

Just take a look at the full list of names chosen by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

I can't help but think that there are a few notable absences! Where on earth is Peter Brook? As one of our greatest Shakespeare directors, he surely deserves a place. His production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is still remembered as one of the RSC's defining moments four decades on.

Should Leonardo DiCaprio have been selected over Peter Brook? Surely not! And don't even get me started on the absence of John Gielgud and Peggy Ashcroft.

I'd like to hear who would be in your list of greats - please visit our hall of fame and add your own names.

Photo © Lee Jamieson

Shakespeare's writing has secured the careers of many actors. For example, Laurence Olivier made his career with Hamlet as did Judi Dench with Lady Macbeth. But some roles simply don't have enough meat to be career breaking roles.

Take Juliet for example. Despite this being an iconic role, few actresses have made their name playing her. Perhaps this is because she's so young and must be played by a correspondingly young and less experienced actress.

Personally, I believe that Juliet is emotionally naive - there's not a great deal of emotional "meat" for an actress to get her teeth into.

However, my theory could be turned on his head with a new production of Romeo and Juliet at the Bristol Old Vic in the UK. This new production will retell the classic love story with elderly lovers in Verona's residential care homes.

I think this will be a real opportunity to see new depths in one of Shakespeare's most iconic characters. But which of our great actresses would you like to see in the role? (tip: Judi Dench is busy!)

Photo © NYPL Digital Galley