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Imagine where we\u2019d be without Shakespeare\u2019s plays. It\u2019s difficult to contemplate now. But it was thanks to another man that many of them were brought to life.

Today, Richard Burbage is a not a household name. But he should be. He\u2019s the man for whom many of the great Shakespearean roles were created. One of the founding members of the Lord Chamberlain\u2019s Men, playing at the newly built Globe in 1599, he\u2019s one of the foundations upon which British theatre was built. Andrew Dickson talks to leading actors, rummages among the archives and dissects some of the greatest parts in acting to discover Burbage\u2019s crucial role \u2013 and realises that without Richard Burbage, there could be no Shakespeare.

Producer: Penny Murphy