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Benedict Cumberbatch And David Tennant Lined Up For BBC Shakespeare Celebrations

Two of telly’s heavyweight stars are lined up to host a celebration of William Shakespeare’s life and works on BBC2 later this month.

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch and Broadchurch actor David Tennant are amongst the celebrities that will pay tribute to the Bard on April 23 - which marks Shakespeare’s birthday and also the 400th anniversary of his death.

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Tennant, who has starred in Royal Shakespeare Company productions of Hamlet and Richard II, is to host the even at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Statford-Upon-Avon.

It’s not yet known what role Cumberbatch will play in the celebrations, but it is expected that he will read sections of Richard III. Last year, he starred in Hamlet at the Barbican Centre in London.

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Other stars taking part in the event called Shakespeare Live! include Gregory Porter, Rory Kinnear, Rufus Hound, Henry Goodman, The Shires, David Suchet, Simon Russell Beale, Roger Allam, Antony Sher, Harriet Walter, John Lithgow, Alexandra Gilbreath, Tim Minchin and Anne Marie Duff.

They will perform in front of a specially invited audience, thought to include the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Tennant said at the launch for the event: “We will have some of the greatest classical actors around. But we have the other cultural arms he inspired, opera, ballet, hip hop.”

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He added that Shakespeare held a special place in his heart: “Through drama Shakespeare has been a huge part of my life. It’s cat-nip for actors”