Coupland was hailed as spokesman for a generation

Coupland, who wrote Generation X, will perform a rehearsed monologue about North America before 11 September 2001. It forms part of the RSC's first season under artistic director Michael Boyd.

Coupland was hailed as a spokesman for a "lost" generation with his novel about three young friends rejecting their place in a materialist society.

The RSC said it planned to put new writing and experimental work "back on the map" with its two-week New Work Festival in September.

It said it had committed to one of its "founding principles" by presenting new work alongside Shakespeare.

'Dialogue'

Mr Boyd said: "Our Shakespeare productions will become shallow�unless they relate to contemporary work which deals directly with the world we live in.

"This first festival is a chance to re-open a dialogue with contemporary writers and challenge the way that new work is produced in this country.

"It allows us to experiment and allows our audiences to join us as we test out newly hatched ideas - something we know they're hungry for."

The season at Stratford-upon-Avon includes four world premieres of new plays, performed readings and works in progress, and community projects.

Festival events will overlap with the company's main repertoire - The Tragedies in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and The Spanish Golden Age in the Swan Theatre.