Four centuries after his death, renowned English poet and playwright William Shakespeare is probably Britain's best-known export, his words and characters famous around the world.
Shakespeare's Globe theatre is setting out to test the Bard's maxim of 'all the world's a stage' by taking 'Hamlet' to every country on Earth, more than 200 in all.
The company describes the plan as "insanely ambitious." Some suspect it is impossible and Amnesty International has weighed in to point out the "dark irony" of taking a play about a conscience-troubled prince to authoritarian North Korea.
'Hamlet' opens today with the first of three performances at the Globe.
Then the 16-strong cast and crew will board a schooner for Amsterdam, starting a journey that will take them to seven continents by plane, boat, train, bus and jeep.
