William Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), many of which are regarded as the most exceptional works of drama ever produced, including Romeo and Juliet (1595), Henry V (1599), Hamlet (1601), Othello (1604), King Lear (1606) and Macbeth (1606), as well as a collection of 154 sonnets, which number among the most profound and influential love poetry in English. Shakespeare died in Stratford in 1616.
Sir
Michael Hordern (1911–1995) was an acclaimed English actor of stage and screen. He performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in
Stratford and London, and he starred in over a hundred films and television shows. Throughout his career he earned a BAFTA Award for Best Actor and was knighted by the Queen of England for his services to the performing arts.
Roy Dotrice is an award-winning British actor with scores of television and movie credits. He won a Tony Award for his performance in
A Moon for the Misbegotten and an Emmy for his work in
The Caretaker. He was also nominated for a Grammy for his voice work in the storybook adaptation of Disney's
The Little Mermaid. He is famous for his appearances as Grand Maester Pycelle in the HBO TV series
Game of Thrones, and his narrative talents in all of the
A Song of Ice and Fire audiobooks, from the series written by George R. R. Martin. His film credits also include
The Scarlet Letter and
Amadeus.
Prunella Scales, CBE,
is an English actress, best known for her role as Basil Fawlty’s long-suffering wife in the British comedy Fawlty Towers
and for her award-nominated role as Elizabeth II in the British film A Question of Attribution.
