Helen Mirren - Dame Helen Mirren Against Reading Shakespeare At School

The actress has performed in several productions of the playwright's works and has even graced the stage with Britain's renowned Royal Shakespeare Company.

Mirren has gone back to the Bard once again with a starring role in Julie Taymor's new big screen adaptation of The Tempest, and the Oscar-winner is adamant she would prefer kids to see Shakespeare's plays performed by actors, instead of labouring over his texts.

She tells Britain's Daybreak TV show, "Honestly, I don't think kids should be made to read Shakespeare at all. I think children's very first experience of Shakespeare should be a performance in the theatre or on film. Mostly in the theatre but it should be performed because that makes it alive and real...

"The great thing about doing Shakespeare on film (is that) in 20 years' time when Avatar is - don't get me wrong, I think it was a groundbreaking, brilliant film - but it will be kind of old hat. The Tempest will be watched as fresh in 20 years' time as it is (for) anyone watching it tonight. I watched Shakespeare plays on film. They bring people to Shakespeare in a very exciting and real and much easier way than having to sit reading the play."