<P> Thousands (perhaps even millions) of performances of William Shakespeare's plays have been staged since the end of the 16th century . While Shakespeare was alive, many of his greatest plays were performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men and King's Men acting companies at the Globe and Blackfriars Theatres . Among the actors of these original performances were Richard Burbage (who played the title role in the first performances of Hamlet, Othello, Richard III and King Lear), Richard Cowley, and William Kempe . </P> <P> Shakespeare's plays continued to be staged after his death until the Interregnum (1642--1660), when most public stage performances were banned by the Puritan rulers . After the English Restoration, Shakespeare's plays were performed in playhouses, with elaborate scenery, and staged with music, dancing, thunder, lightning, wave machines, and fireworks . During this time the texts were "reformed" and "improved" for the stage, an undertaking which has seemed shockingly disrespectful to posterity . </P>

Who played hamlet lear and macbeth for the first time