Bring the Bard here

IN considering possible ways of persuading more people to support the Octagon programme, planners should, I feel, give some thought to the Man of the Millennium. Children study Shakespeare, but only a minority have seen any of his plays on stage. If the plays set for GCSE and 'A' level were presented by the Octagon, literally thousands of students, teachers and parents, as well as the general public, would go to see them. This would not only generate much-needed income, but would be of inestimable benefit to the students, to many of whom, alas, the study of Shakespeare's masterpieces is simply an often boring classroom exercise.