"Starting with Shakespeare, there are a load: Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Berowne in Love's Labour's Lost, Angelo in Measure for Measure, Richard II. I tried to persuade Michael Boyd to let me do Hamlet, but he'd already gone and signed up Toby Stephens!"
So nine years on he's three for five! Here is a list of all his Shakespeare roles so far:
1990 - Oberon: Midsummer Night's Dream, "Teatro E Scuole Di Teatro" Festival in Polermo, Sicily.
1990 - Prospero: The Tempest, "Teatro E Scuole Di Teatro" Festival in Polermo, Sicily.
1996 - Touchstone: As You Like It, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford and 1996/97 at The Barbican, London (RSC)
1997 - Angelo:Measure For Measure, as part of BBC 2's Conjuring Shakespeare
1998 - Antipholus of Syracuse: Comedy of Errors, Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Audio Series
1998 - The Porter: Macbeth, Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Audio Series
1998 - Lancelot Gobo: The Merchant of Venice, Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Audio Series
1998 - The Archbishop/Ghost of Henry VI: Richard III, Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Audio Series
1998 - Mercutio: Romeo & Juliet, Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Audio Series
1998 - Dramatic reading of Sonnet 38 on Classic FM's collection called Classic Romance
1999 - Henry VI Part I, II and III: Henry VI, Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Audio Series
1999 - Edgar: King Lear, Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Audio Series
1999 - Edgar: King Lear, The Royal Exchange, Manchster
2000 - Antipholus of Syracuse: Comedy of Errors, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, The Theatre Royal, Newcastle and 2000/01 at The Barbican, London (RSC)
2000 - Romeo: Romeo and Juliet, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, The Theatre Royal, Newcastle and 2000/01 at The Barbican, London (RSC)
2001 - Lysander/Flute: Midsummer Night's Dream(staged reading), The Barbican, London (RSC)
2001 - Bendick: Much Ado About Nothing, BBC Radio Three
2008 - Hamlet: Hamlet, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford and 2008/09 at the Novello Theatre in London (RSC)
2008 - Berowne: Love's Labour's Lost, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford (RSC)
2009 - Reading of Sonnets 2, 7,9,11,14,17,18 and 154 on the audio CD From Shakespeare With Love
2009 - Hamlet:Hamlet, BBC One
2011 - Benedick: Much Ado About Nothing, Wyndham Theatre London
2012 - Malvolio: Twelfth Night BBC Radio Three
2012 - Prince Escalus: Romeo and Juliet BBC Radio Three