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Little Britain's Matt Lucas explores Shakespeare's comedies and asks if they have an influence on current humour. Today we interpret comedy from quite a different perspective than 400 years ago. Comedy then meant one with a happy ending.

Now we can use Shakespeare's comedies to greater comic effect, depending on the director & actors involved and how they can convey his words for today's audiences. Director, Michael Grandage explains how he translates the text from as fresh a perspective as possible.

Shakespeare's plays are seen as timeless because they deal with human issues still familiar today. His comedy themes provoke comic reactions - from romance, the words & their rhythms, to confusion & chaos through mistaken identity and cross-dressing. We'll hear examples from his best known comedies.

What did Shakespeare's 'Fools' represent then and were they the stand-ups of the day? The 'Fool' was sometimes used to expose the vain, mock the pompous and deliver a few home truths. But he wasn't necessarily there for comic effect.

We hear from actress Fiona Shaw, and writer/performer Adam Long (Reduced Shakespeare Company) who believe that humour stems from the tragedy more directly than the comedies. With contributions from Catherine Tate, John Sessions and Simon Russell-Beale.

As The Reversed Shakespeare Company is launched, artistic director, Lindsay Dukes, shares her future plans of gender swapping all Shakespeare's characters to offer an unexpected experience for a younger generation. We hear about Ben Elton's new sitcom about William Shakespeare's life - 'Upstart Crow' which features actress, Helen Monks.

Much Ado About Comedy looks at the use of comedy in Shakespeare, and how radical it may become in the future. Or not?