Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Comedies: The Taming of the Shrew; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare, Full Cast (Read by), Geraldine McEwan (Read by), Miriam Margolyes (Read by), Nigel Hawthorne (Read by)

Overview

Three classic radio productions from the BBC archives starring Nigel Hawthorne, Miriam Margolyes, Geraldine McEwan, and a host of celebrated acting talent. These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th Century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatest dramatist. The Taming of the Shrew, the controversial comedy about the battle of the sexes and a very unconventional marriage, stars Fenella Fielding as Katherine, with Miriam Margolyes as Bianca and Paul Daneman as Petruchio. A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, is the tale of warring fairies, eloping lovers, and the magic and madness of love has bewitched audiences since its very first performance. Starring Nigel Hawthorne as Oberon with Maureen O'Brien as Titania. In Twelfth Night, mistaken identity and a tangled love triangle lead to confusion and, ultimately, happiness in this comic masterpiece. Starring Dorothy Tutin as Viola, with Geraldine McEwan as Olivia and Stephen Murray as Malvolio. Recorded at BBC Broadcasting House and featuring the BBC Drama Repertory company, with specially composed music including a score from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, this is classic radio drama at its finest. Duration: 7 hours approx.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785293085
Publisher:	B B C Worldwide Americas
Publication date:	07/01/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged
Pages:	1
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 5.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, and was baptized on April 26, 1564. Shakespeare’s theatrical life seems to have commenced around 1590. We do know that he was part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Company, which was renamed the King’s Company in 1603 when James I succeeded to the throne. The Company acquired interests in two theaters in the Southwark area of London, near the banks of the Thames—the Globe and the Blackfriars. Shakespeare’s poetry was published before his plays, with two poems appearing in 1593 and 1594, dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. Most of Shakespeare’s sonnets were probably written at this time as well. Records of Shakespeare’s plays begin to appear in 1594, and he produced roughly two a year until around 1611. His earliest plays include Henry VI and Titus Andronicus. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, and Richard II all date from the mid- to late 1590s. Some of his most famous tragedies were written in the early 1600s; these include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony & Cleopatra. His late plays, often known as the Romances, date from 1608 onwards and include The Tempest. Shakespeare died on April 23,1616 and was buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. The first collected edition of his works was published in 1623 and is known as "the First Folio."

Date of Death:

2018

Place of Birth:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Place of Death:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom