Battle of the Hamlets as first Jude and now David Tennant sign up to play the Danish prince

The confirmation of Tennant, follows the news earlier this week that Jude Law is also going to play the role of the Danish prince.

Hollywood heart-throb Law, 34, will appear in a new production for London's Donmar Warehouse, directed by Kenneth Branagh.

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To be or not to be: Will Jude or David Tennant make the better Hamlet?

Tennat and Law are the latest in a long list of celebrated actors to play what is perhaps the Bard's most famous creations.

Two giants of the acting world who made the part their own were Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. Olivier bleached his hair blond for the 1948 film version, while Gielgud played the part in a 1929 Old Vic production.

More recently, Mark Rylance won rave reviews for his 1989 performance for the RSC.

Gregory Doran, the RSC's chief associate director, said that he had first thought of Tennant in the role when he had seen the actor on the BBC TV programme Who Do You Think You Are in which celebrities trace their ancestors.

Tennant held up a skull and comtemplated it - "It was like an audition," said Doran.

The production will open next summer and means there won't be a full series of Doctor Who filmed next year.

Instead, there will only be three specials filmed to be screened in 2009, before the show gets a full run again in 2010.

A spokesman for Doctor Who said it was too early to say whether the Tennant would be returning for any future series, but many believe he is ambitious to expand his stage and screen projects.

Mr Tennant, who took over from Christopher Eccleston after he quit the revival of the show after just one series in 2005, is currently filming the fifth series of the show alongside Catherine Tate.

A special Christmas episode starring Tennant and Kylie Minogue will be broadcast on BBC1 in December.