WITH its rich and vIibrant dialogue and at times gripping storyline, Hamlet has everything. It is, in my humble opinion, the king of plays and the greatest ever written.

Now the lead role, iconic and traditionally male, is to be played by a female actress, the critically-acclaimed Maxine Peake.

The Royal Exchange Theatre, where the production is taking place, has been home to some truly great performances over the decades and this version certainly captures the imagination.

In Shakespeare's day, boys played the parts written for women, but Maxine's portrayal blurs the boundaries between the two sexes by being a mixture of male and female.

She said: "Hamlet is in touch with her more masculine side."

For those coming to see the play for the first time and without wishing to give too much of the fabulous plot away, Hamlet has been denied the throne of Denmark by Claudius, who has deposed Hamlet's father, the previous king, in the most dramatic of ways.

Maxine, whose numerous TV credits include Channel 4's gritty comedy drama Shameless, Victoria Wood's canteen-based sitcom Dinnerladies and The BBC drama The Village, said playing Hamlet is a dream come true. In rehearsals she's been able to get her teeth into everything from the Bard's big speeches to bruising and very full on stage fights.

She said: "I pulled a muscle in my armpit as the fight director threw me - it's proper full on. And that's what's been good about it, you get to stretch all the muscles.

"It's a bit of a dream come true, I'm doing a sword fight and then I'm punching someone in the head. I get it now why all the men get over excited about wanting to play Hamlet. You do everything - every emotional base is covered."

Thirty years ago, the Royal Exchange Theatre was the venue for one of the greatest productions of Hamlet, with the mighty Robert Lindsay playing the part. I was fortunate to see this as a teenage sixth former and this latest production with Maxine, an actress at the top of her craft, is an equally exciting proposition. A fresh look at a play that has been captivating theatregoers for centuries. Maxine said she's received a stream of emails from other actresses, expressing their support for what she's doing at the RET.

It''s being directed by Sarah Frankcom and is being billed as 'a Hamlet for Manchester.' What exactly does that mean?

Maxine jokes: "We've put loads of Smiths songs in it."

Sarah adds: "It feels like one of the important aspects of a big regional theatre and a theatre in this city is about making and premiering exclusively for Manchester."

Maxine's versatility extends beyond her work as an actress and she plans to write again, building on the success of her play about one of the unsung heroines of the cycling world, Beryl Burton.

* Hamlet by William Shakespeare is at the Royal Exchange Theatre from September 11 to October 18 at 7.30pm. The run also includes matinees and anyone interested in booking tickets should call 0161 833 9833 or visit royalexchange.co.uk