The literary conspiracy theory that refuses to go away, and which has a growing army of supporters all over the globe, reared its head in Chichester this weekend.
Two of Britain's most distinguished Shakespearean actors, Sir Derek Jacobi and Mark Rylance, the original artistic director of the new Globe Theatre, have launched a formal 'Declaration of Reasonable Doubt' about the identity of the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon.
The actors said the document, which has been signed by 300 people, is an effort to provoke academic debate.
After the last matinee performance of I Am Shakespeare, a play that questions the identity of Shakespeare, at the Minerva Theatre in the West Sussex town yesterday, Rylance, the star, joined Sir Derek to present the controversial declaration to Dr William Leahy, the head of English at Brunel University in west London. Later this month Leahy is to convene the first MA in Shakespeare authorship studies.
The key belief of the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition is that a body of literary works which displays an understanding of law, history and mathematics could not have been written by a mere commoner from an illiterate household in Warwickshire. What is more, no records exist that the man usually assumed to be the greatest playwright in western literature ever received payment or personal preferment for his writing. Shakespeare's detailed will, in which he notably left his wife 'my second best bed with the furniture', fails to refer to any theatrical legacy. The coalition contends it is proof of cause for doubt.
Since the 18th century rival candidates for the authorship of the works have been put up by those convinced that William Shakespeare was just a pen-name. Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon and the Elizabethan nobleman Edward de Vere, have all been mooted as contenders and Sir Derek was happy to reveal yesterday which one would get his vote.
'I think the leading light was probably de Vere, as I agree that an author writes about his own experiences, his own life and personalities,' he said.
The coalition's declaration lists 20 other well-known doubters of the past, including Mark Twain, Orson Welles, Sir John Gielgud and Charlie Chaplin.
Central planks in the document include suspicion surrounding the fact that all of the plays are chiefly set among the upper class and about the author's familiarity with Italian culture. There are questions too about his failure to mention Stratford or anything relating to his own life, including the death of his 11-year-old son, Hamnet. (Although there is no explanation why he might have given his only son a name so close to that of the playwright's most famous protagonist).
Dr Leahy said the new course at Brunel would simply aim to open up the question of the authorship: 'It has been a battle of mine for the last couple of years to get this into academia. It's a legitimate question, it has a mystery at its centre and intellectual discussion will bring us closer to that centre.'
The coalition first drew up its declaration in California last spring, where the organisation is spearheaded by the academics and sceptics John Shahan and Virginia Renner (a former head of Reader Services at the prestigious Huntington Library). 'We have nothing against the man from Stratford-upon-Avon,' the declaration reads, 'but we doubt that he was the author of the works. Our goal is to legitimise the issue in academia so students, teachers and professors can feel free to pursue it. This is necessary because the issue is widely viewed as settled in academia and is treated as a taboo subject.'
More mysteries
Who was he?
Some say the works were written by the poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe, others that Francis Bacon wrote them in his spare time, while some point to the nobleman Edward de Vere. Others argue they are collaborations penned by a brilliant team of anonymous writers.
What was he?
Contradictory theories include the idea that the Bard was also a Catholic spy, a secret agent working abroad, a religious recusant in hiding, a teacher or possibly a European cultural ambassador.
Who was his lover?
The true identities of the Dark Lady and the Fair Youth of the sonnets are still in dispute; some say the poems addressed to a young man are about the Earl of Pembroke, others the Earl of Southampton, while the lady could have been a Mary Fitton or the poet Emilia Lanier.
William Shakespeare, 16th century playwright. 
A debate has been launched by almost 300 people, seeking further research into William Shakespeare and the many masterpieces attributed to him. The group, named the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition, are reluctant to believe that the Bard wrote all of the plays that make him internationally famous, and are keen to unravel the mysteries surrounding his life and work.

Although it is widely accepted that Shakespeare existed and penned many works, the group question why all records of Shakespeare are non-literary, and how so many high-quality plays could be written by someone born into an illiterate household. The Coalition also asks why none of his plays mention his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon, and also how a 16th Century commoner could have such extensive and accurate knowledge of the worldwide settings in which they take place.

Conspiracy theories since the 18th century have claimed that the works could have been written by authors using the pen name Shakespeare, particularly Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe and Edward de Vere. Sir Derek Jacobi, actor and member of the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition, believes that the famous plays could have been written by more than one writer. "I subscribe to the group theory," Sir Derek said. "I don't think anybody could do it on their own." 

A "declaration of reasonable doubt" was presented to Dr William Leahy, Head of English at London's Brunel University. Speaking about the conspiracies, he said, "It's a legitimate question, it has a mystery at its centre and intellectual discussion will bring us closer to that centre." 

The Coalition has set up a website, inviting people to sign the declaration and keep up-to-date with new research.