Actor and director KENNETH BRANAGH is to be honoured at Stratford- upon-Avon for his work in bringing WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE's writing to a popular audience. The HAMLET (2001) star is to become an honorary DOCTOR OF LETTERS at the SHAKESPEARE INSTITUTE, a department of the UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM.

A university spokeswoman says Branagh's direction was "terribly important" and had helped to make Shakespeare more accessible and not just "an expensive highbrow activity".

Source: WENN