Subgenre Sampler

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Hollow Crown, The: Wars of the Roses (TV Series) (2015): Dir. Dominic Cooke
Feat. Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Bonneville, Judi Dench…; A second series of star–studded, exceptionally presented Shakespeare adaptations, with Henry VI in two parts, along with Richard III. Together…
Macbeth (2015): Dir. Justin Kurzel
Feat. Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Paddy Considine…; Michael Fassbender is the fatally ambitious Scottish general in this visceral rendition of Shakespeare's tragedy from the Australian director of…
National Theatre: 50 Years on Stage (2015): A celebration of the 50th Anniversary of London's National Theatre. The theatrical gala features a veritable who's–who of British stage talent…
Cymbeline (Anarchy) (2014): Dir. Michael Almereyda
Feat. Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich…; After their edgy version of Hamlet (2000), Ethan Hawke and director Michael Almereyda re–team for one of Shakespeare's lesser–known…
NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage (2014): Dir. Jeremy Whelehan
Feat. Kevin Spacey; Kevin Spacey, Sam Mendes and the Bridge Project Company reveal some of the most intimate moments behind the scenes of their staging of Richard III.
Romeo and Juliet (2013): Dir. Carlo Carlei
Feat. Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, Damian Lewis…; A richly imagined, though largely unreliable version of Shakespeare's most quoted play. Set in the authentic setting of Renaissance Verona, this only…
Romeo and Juliet: A Love Song (2013): Dir. Tim van Dammen
Feat. Derya Parlak, Christopher Landon; The Bard's most iconic play is performed with colloquial gusto in this inventive musical transposing of the tale of star–crossed lovers to an…
Francesco's Shakespeare in Italy (TV Series) (2012): Further travels with charismatic Italian architect Francesco da Mosto, here exploring the Bard's great love affair with Italy, with the likes of…
Hollow Crown, The (TV Series) (2012): Feat. Jeremy Irons, Ben Whishaw, Tom Hiddleston…; A star–studded, BAFTA–nominated mini–series of adaptations of Shakespeare's history plays: Richard II, Henry IV Parts One and Two,…
Much Ado About Nothing (2012): Dir. Joss Whedon
Feat. Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion…; Thank heaven for Joss Whedon and for a tiny little project he threw together in his spare time whole he was in the editing room for THE AVENGERS.…
Anonymous (2011): Dir. Roland Emmerich
Feat. Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis…; Enjoyable hokum posits that the true writer of Shakespeare's plays was in fact the Earl of Oxford. Some of Britain's finest thesps – including…
Coriolanus (2011): Dir. Ralph Fiennes
Feat. Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Jessica Chastain…; Ralph Fiennes directs this fierce adaptation of Shakespeare's second–longest play, transposing the Bard's text to modern day Rome, where…
Hunky Dory (2011): Dir. Marc Evans
Feat. Minnie Driver; Feel–good period drama plays it safe in its rose–tinted remembrance of the '70s, where an earnest drama teacher (Driver) brings together…
Private Romeo (2011): Dir. Alan Brown
Feat. Seth Numrich, Matt Doyle, Hale Appleman; Utterly disarming and inventive retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set in an all–boys Military Academy where love blooms between two cadets.
Tempest, The (2010): Dir. Julie Taymor
Feat. Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, Djimon Hounsou…; Julie Taymor takes on The Bard once more with distinctly eye–popping results, and in a further deviation gives Helen Mirren the role of…
Hamlet (2009): Dir. Gregory Doran
Feat. David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, Oliver Ford Davies; An outstanding, visually sumptuous Royal Shakespeare Company modernization of the Bard's much–filmed play, with David Tennant mercurial in the…
Me and Orson Welles (2009): Dir. Richard Linklater
Feat. Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay…; Dir. Richard Linklater impeccably evokes the charms of 30's New York for this traditional backstage drama that has great affection for the era and…
King Lear (2007): Dir. Trevor Nunn
Feat. Ian McKellen, Frances Barber, Sylvester McCoy…; The Royal Shakespeare Company's 2007 adaptation sees McKellen as his commanding best in the titular role, with an equally terrific performance from…
Othello (2007): Dir. Wilson Milam
Feat. Tim McInnerny, Eamonn Walker, Zoe Tapper; Live recording of the Shakespearian tragedy of racial tension and raging jealousy, performed here for the first time at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.…
As You Like It (2006): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Bryce Dallas Howard, Romola Garai, Alfred Molina…; Kenneth Branagh transplants the Bard’s comedy to old Japan in this talent–stacked tale of woman's flight from persecution and into the arms…
Macbeth (2006): Dir. Geoffrey Wright
Feat. Sam Worthington, Steve Bastoni; A black–lacquered contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s 'Macbeth' set in the ganglands of Melbourne, with dir. Wright (ROMPER STOMPER)…
Winter's Tale, The (2006): Dir. Dominic Cooke
Feat. Sir Antony Sher; The Royal Shakepeare Company's 2006 adaptation of one of Shakespeare's 'problem' plays is, as you would expect, a vibrant, perfectly studied affair,…
Macbeth (Shakespeare Retold) (2005): Dir. Mark Brozel
Feat. James McAvoy, Richard Armitage, Keeley Hawes; An updated version of Shakespeare's tragedy by the makers of THE CANTERBURY TALES (2003) series, shifting the Scottish renegade into the…
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (Shakespeare Retold) (2005): Dir. Ed Fraiman
Feat. Bill Paterson, Imelda Staunton; An updated version of Shakespeare's fantasy–comedy by the makers of THE CANTERBURY TALES (2003) series, with Paterson and Stauton playing…
Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Retold) (2005): Dir. Brian Percival
Feat. Sarah Parish, Damian Lewis, Martin Jarvis…; An updated version of Shakespeare's comedy by the makers of THE CANTERBURY TALES (2003) series, here transposing the romantic fireworks between…
Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005): Dir. Hank Rogerson, Jilann Spitzmiller; Issues of redemption and reform underlie this strangely moving account of a troupe of male convicts in a Kentucky correctional facility who, over the…
Taming of the Shrew, The (Shakespeare Retold) (2005): Dir. David Richards
Feat. Shirley Henderson, Rufus Sewell, Twiggy; An updated version of Shakespeare's comedy by the makers of THE CANTERBURY TALES (2003) series, has Shirley Henderson play a bitchy and ambitious MP…
Merchant of Venice, The (2004): Dir. Michael Radford
Feat. Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes…; Al Pacino seems at home in the Bard’s world compared to his more recent contemporary forays, turning in a thorough and morally ambiguous rendition…
In Search of Shakespeare (2003): Presenter Michael Wood and award–winning director Greg Doran investigate the world of William Shakespeare. Using backstage recreations of…
Slings and Arrows (TV Series) (2003): Feat. Paul Gross, Don McKellar, Rachel McAdams; One of the great forgotten TV gems, this critically lauded, scandalously under–watched arts comedy centres on a fictional Canadian Shakespeare…
Othello (2001): Dir. Geoffrey Sax
Feat. Christopher Eccleston, Eamonn Walker, Keeley Hawes…; Andrew Davies' brilliantly distilled screenplay brings Othello's universal themes of love and obsession into the format of a modern crime drama set…
Hamlet (2000): Dir. Michael Almereyda
Feat. Ethan Hawke, Julia Stiles, Bill Murray…; Setting Shakespeare’s play in the contemporary corporate world, the dir. of NADJA brings a fresh slant to the classic despite low–budget…
Hamlet (2000): Dir. Campbell Scott
Feat. Campbell Scott, Blair Brown, Jamey Sheridan…; Solid television version of Shakespeare's great tragedy, transposed to late–19th century America by dir. and star Campbell Scott, in a bold but…
Merchant of Venice, The (2000): Dir. Trevor Nunn
Feat. Henry Goodman; A wonderful TV version (taken from an acclaimed production) of Shakespeare's 'problem play', recreating the classic tale of debt, honour and love in…
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (2000): Dir. Adrian Noble; A version of William Shakespeare's classic comedy by the Royal Shakespeare Company, which utilises special effects to realise the play's fantasy…
O (Othello) (2000): Dir. Tim Blake Nelson
Feat. Josh Hartnett, Mekhi Phifer, Julia Stiles; Continuing recent trends, this ‘updating’ of Shakespeare’s ”Othello” transfers the dialogue and setting into the US schoolyard, where Josh…
10 Things I Hate About You (1999): Dir. Gil Junger
Feat. Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles; Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is shrink–wrapped as '90s high–school hi–jinks. A protective Dad forbids his nubile daughter…
Love's Labour's Lost (1999): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Alicia Silverstone, Timothy Spall…; Untiring Shakespearean–enthusiast Kenneth Branagh, labours his latest adaptation: the Bard’s sparkling early comedy made over as a 30s Irving…
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (1999): Dir. Michael Hoffman
Feat. Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci…; Played out in 19th century Tuscany, Shakespeare's most enchanted comedy places its collection of fairies, rude mechanicals and humans in…
Titus (1999): Dir. Julie Taymor
Feat. Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming…; A ferocious, no–holds–barred reading by Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange and Alan Cumming of Shakespeare's early play, the baroque, and…
Hamlet (1997): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Jack Lemmon…; A flash and vigorous reading of Shakespeare's tragedy of the melancholy Dane, hatched by Kenneth Branagh and a bevy of incongruous thesps. An…
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Romeo + Juliet) (1997): Dir. Baz Luhrmann
Feat. Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Pete Postlethwaite…; Visionary director Baz Luhrmann takes his STRICTLY BALLROOM crew to the Americas and conjures a cinematic universe of striking originality and…
Looking for Richard (1996): Dir. Al Pacino
Feat. Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Winona Ryder…; Al Pacino's pet project, and his directing debut, explores the American actor's paradoxical obsessions with Shakespeare, debunking some of the…
Richard III (1996): Dir. Richard Loncraine
Feat. Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Robert Downey Jnr.…; Transposed to a fascist 1930s Britain, Shakespeare's classic tale of power politics easily renews its timeless appeal. Ian McKellen commands every…
Tromeo and Juliet (1996): Dir. Lloyd Kaufman
Feat. Jane Jansen, Will Keenan, Valentine Miele; Tromatized version of 'Romeo and Juliet' resets the world's most famous love story in contemporary Manhattan, with body piercings, kinky sex and…
Twelfth Night (1996): Dir. Trevor Nunn
Feat. Helena Bonham Carter, Richard E. Grant, Nigel Hawthorne…; William Shakespeare is rediscovered yet again, in one of his wittier flights of fancy, served up with such 90s icons as Helena Bonham Carter, Richard…
Othello (1995): Dir. Oliver Parker
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Irene Jacob, Laurence Fishburne; Shakespeare's great tragedy of love, jealousy and sheer bloody malice is spiked with a 90s erotic edge. While its stylistic choices only partly…
Much Ado About Nothing (1993): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves…; Kenneth Branagh plunders the Bard again and pulls off a rare breed of romantic escapism. Here he somehow modifies the traditional text for an…
Prospero's Books (1991): Dir. Peter Greenaway
Feat. John Gielgud; A radically stylised take on Shakespeare's The Tempest, with John Gielgud in the title role upstaged by the graphic opulence on display. Like a good…
Discovering Hamlet (1990): Dir. Mark Olshaker
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Patrick Stewart; Invaluable documenting of Derek Jacobi's 1988 production of Hamlet with a young Kenneth Branagh in the lead. Focussing solely on the rehearsal…
Hamlet (1990): Dir. Franco Zeffirelli
Feat. Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates…; Mel Gibson pulls off a creditable lead performance as the melancholy Dane, certainly aided by the director's eye for detail, and top supporting…
Henry IV (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Michael Cronin, Barry Stanton, Michael Pennington…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of Henry IV tells of the aftermath of Henry…
Henry V (1989): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed…; A remarkable achievement from Kenneth Branagh both as actor and first–time director, he brings a new vitality to Shakespeare's most energetic…
Henry V (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Barry Stanton, Michael Pennington, Andrew Jarvis…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of Henry V – England's greatest warrior king…
Henry VI (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Barry Stanton, Michael Pennington, June Watson…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of Henry VI – the tragic history of a king who…
King Richard II (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Colin Farrell, Michael Pennington, Michael Cronin…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of King Richard II – who became England's…
King Richard III (1989): Dir. Michael Bogdanov
Feat. Michael Pennington, Roger Booth, June Watson…; Michael Pennington and The English Shakespeare Company’s internationally acclaimed production of King Richard III. The final installment of the…
Twelfth Night (1988): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Richard Briers, Caroline Langrishe; Kenneth Branagh restages his Renaissance Theatre production of the popular comedy for Thames Television with a top cast of English thespians.
Ran (1985): Dir. Akira Kurosawa
Feat. Tatsuya Nakadai; The title translates to 'chaos'; it is Kurosawa's vast and bloody interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear. Grandiose in every sense – a…
BBC Shakespeare Collection: Series 7 (Much Ado About Nothing, Love's Labour's Lost, Pericles: Prince of Tyre, Titus Adronicus) (1984-1985): Dir. Stuart Burge, Elijah Moshinsky, David Giles
Feat. Robert Lindsay, Cherie Lunghi, Leonard Rossiter…; Disc 1: "The Life and Death of King John" (157 Minutes) Directed by David Giles. Starring Leonard Rossiter as King John. Disc 2: "Pericles, Prince…
King Lear (1984): Dir. Michael Elliot
Feat. Laurence Olivier; Made for Granada television, this magnificent version stars Laurence Olivier who, in the twilight of his career, gives a riveting performance as the…
Much Ado About Nothing (1984): Dir. Stuart Burge
Feat. Cherie Lunghi, Robert Lindsay, Michael Elphick; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Anthony and Cleopatra (1983): Dir. Lawrence Carra
Feat. Timothy Dalton, Lynn Redgrave, John Carradine…; Above–par version of Shakespeare's Egyptian tragedy with the two leads giving particularly strong performances. Filmed in a…
King Lear (1983): Dir. Alan Cooke
Feat. Mike Kellen, Darryl Hickman, Charles Aidman; An American television version of Shakespeare's powerful tragedy, filmed in a pseudo–theatrical style.
Macbeth (1983): Dir. Jack Gold
Feat. Nicol Williamson, Jane Lapotaire; One of the BBC's celebrated series of Shakespeare adaptations, with Nicol Williamson putting in a strong showing as the tortured Scottish usurper.…
Richard III (The Tragedy of Richard III) (1983): Dir. Jane Howell
Feat. Peter Benson, Antony Brown, David Burke; BBC adaptation of Shakespeare's brilliantly dark play, completely unabridged and loyal to the original text.
Tempest, The (1983): Dir. William Woodman
Feat. Efrem Zimbalist Jr., William Hootkins, Nicholas Hammond; An American television version of Shakespeare's much filmed late 'romance', here presented in a pseudo–theatrical style.
BBC Shakespeare Collection: Series 5 (Richard III, King Lear, Henry VI Part 1, Henry VI Part 2, Henry VI Part 3, The Merry Wives of Windsor) (1982-1983): Feat. Alan Bennett, Ben Kingsley, Judy Davis…; The fifth in a series of boxed–sets compiling the BBC's comprehensive Shakespeare adaptations for television. This set includes: Richard III,…
BBC Shakespeare Collection: Series 6 (Cymbeline, The Comedy of Errors, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Coriolanus, Macbeth) (1982-1984): Feat. Helen Mirren, Jane Lapotaire, John Hudson…; The sixth in a series of boxed–sets compiling the BBC's comprehensive Shakespeare adaptations for television. This set includes: Cymbeline…
King Lear (1982): Dir. Jonathan Miller
Feat. Sir Michael Hordern, John Shrapnel, Norman Rodway…; BBC adaptation of Shakespeare's powerful tragedy, with Michael Hordern in the lead role as the troubled King.
Merry Wives of Windsor, The (1982): Feat. Alan Bennett, Richard Griffiths, Judy Davis…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Romeo and Juliet (1982): Dir. William Woodman
Feat. Alex Hyde-White, Blanche Baker, Esther Rolle; An American television version of Shakespeare's familiar play, filmed in a pseudo–theatrical style. Features a cast of sturdy American an stage…
All's Well That Ends Well (1981): Dir. Elijah Moshinsky
Feat. Ian Charleson, Angela Down, Sir Michael Hordern…; Adaptation of the Shakespeare play about a low–born daughter of a doctor who falls in love with the son of a countess, and attempts to cure the…
Antony and Cleopatra (1981): Dir. Jonathan Miller
Feat. Jane Lapotaire, Colin Blakely, Ian Charleson; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Henry VI (Henry the Sixth) (1981-1983): Dir. Jane Howell
Feat. John Benfield, Peter Benson, Brenda Blethyn; BBC adaptation of Shakespeare's three–part play across three discs.
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (1981): Dir. Elijah Moshinsky
Feat. Helen Mirren, Nigel Davenport, Brian Glover; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Othello (1981): Dir. Jonathan Miller
Feat. Anthony Hopkins, Bob Hoskins; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Timon of Athens (1981): Dir. Jonathan Miller
Feat. John Fortune, Tony Jay, John Bird; Adaptation of the Shakespeare play about the overly generous citizen of Athens whose friends abandon him when he falls into debt. Forms part of the…
Winter's Tale, The (1981): Dir. Jane Howell
Feat. Jeremy Kemp, Anna Calder-Marshall; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Hamlet (1980): Dir. Rodney Bennett
Feat. Derek Jacobi, Claire Bloom, Patrick Stewart…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Merchant of Venice, The (1980): Dir. Jack Gold
Feat. John Rhys-Davies, Warren Mitchell, Gemma Jones; Sturdy BBC adaptation of the Bard's famous 'problem play', with Warren Mitchell putting in an unparalleled performance as the Jewish usurer Shylock,…
Taming of the Shrew (1980): Dir. Jonathan Miller
Feat. John Cleese, Sarah Badel; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Tempest, The (1980): Dir. John Gorrie
Feat. Sir Michael Hordern, Nigel Hawthorne; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Henry IV - Part 1 and 2 (1979): Dir. David Giles
Feat. Jon Finch, Anthony Quayle, Tim Pigott-Smith…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Henry V (1979): Dir. David Giles
Feat. David Gwillim, Alec McCowen, David Buck; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Henry VIII (1979): Dir. Kevin Billington
Feat. Timothy West, Claire Bloom, Ronald Pickup…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Julius Caesar (1979): Dir. Herbert Wise
Feat. Keith Michell, Richard Pasco, Charles Gray…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Macbeth (1979): Dir. Philip Casson
Feat. Ian McKellen, Judi Dench; Excellent version of the 'Scottish play' that translates Trevor Nunn's RSC stage version to television complete with minimalistic staging and some…
Measure for Measure (1979): Dir. Desmond Davis
Feat. Kate Nelligan, Tim Pigott-Smith; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Tempest, The (1979): Dir. Derek Jarman
Feat. Toyah Wilcox, Peter Bull, Richard Warwick; One of dir. Jarman's early triumphs, reimagines Shakespeare's final play as a blend of Edwardian drama, cabaret carnival and punk jamboree, all…
As You Like It (1978): Dir. Basil Coleman
Feat. Helen Mirren, Brian Stirner, Richard Pasco; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
BBC Shakespeare Collection: Series 1 (Romeo & Juliet, King Richard the Second, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure, The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight) (1978): In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare's plays for television. The resulting productions, renowned for their…
BBC Shakespeare Collection: Series 2 (Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Hamlet Prince of Denmark) (1978): The second in a series of boxed–sets compiling the BBC's comprehensive Shakespeare adaptations for television. This set includes: The First…
BBC Shakespeare Collection: Series 3 (The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, All's Well That Ends Well, The Winter's Tale, Timon of Athens, Antony & Cleopatra) (1978): The third in a series of boxed–sets compiling the BBC's comprehensive Shakespeare adaptations for television. This set includes: The Taming…
BBC Shakespeare Collection: Series 4 (Othello, Troilus and Cressida, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) (1978): The fourth in a series of boxed–sets compiling the BBC's comprehensive Shakespeare adaptations for television. This set includes: Othello:…
Richard II (1978): Dir. David Giles
Feat. Derek Jacobi, John Gielgud, Jon Finch…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Romeo and Juliet (1978): Dir. Alvin Rakoff
Feat. Patrick Ryecart, Rebecca Saire, Sir Michael Hordern…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Twelfth Night (1978): Dir. John Gorrie
Feat. Alec McCowen, Robert Hardy, Felicity Kendal…; Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Romeo and Juliet (1976): Dir. Joan Kemp-Welch
Feat. Christopher Neame, Ann Hasson, Peter Jeffrey…; Creditable British TV version of the most famous romantic tragedy of all time, with Neame and Hassan playing the fate–crossed lovers.
Taming of the Shrew, The (1976): Dir. Kirk Browning
Feat. Marc Singer; An acclaimed production of Shakespeare's comedy by the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.
King Lear (1974): Feat. Patrick Magee; Solid TV version of the Bard's great tragedy with Patrick Magee giving a unique interpretation of the troubled monarch, double–crossed by his…
Thames Shakespeare Collection, The (Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night) (1974-1988): Four of William Shakespeare's ageless tales of drama and passion combined in a boxed set. MACBETH: Witchcraft, manipulation, and murder mark…
Macbeth (1971): Dir. Roman Polanski
Feat. Jon Finch, Francesca Annis; This version of violent tragedy benefits from Polanski's fine sense of storytelling. Bloodythirsty and geniunely eerie, it comes…
King Lear (1970): Dir. Peter Brook
Feat. Paul Scofield, Irene Worth, Jack MacGowran…; This could hardly miss with Shakespeare perennials Paul Schofield in the title role and director Peter Brook at the helm. A strong and rewarding…
Hamlet (1969): Dir. Tony Richardson
Feat. Nicol Williamson, Gordon Jackson, Anthony Hopkins…; The predominant use of close–ups enhances Nicol Williamson's bold performance as an impulsive, roguish young Hamlet.
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (1968): Dir. Sir Peter Hall
Feat. Helen Mirren, David Warner, Diana Rigg…; The Royal Shakespeare Company's film production of one of Shakespeare's most hilarious and witty plays, featuring a strong ensemble cast.
Romeo and Juliet (1968): Dir. Franco Zeffirelli
Feat. Olivia Hussey, Leonard Whiting, Milo O'Shea…; Definitive screen version has the lovelorn couple played by teenagers, the costume designer working overtime and a youthful, fashionable feel to it.…
Twelfth Night (1968): Dir. John Sichel
Feat. Alec Guinness, Joan Plowright, Ralph Richardson…; Shakespeare's farcical tale of mixed up lives and lovers at cross–purposes is brought to life by renowned actors Alec Guinness and Joan…
Romeo and Juliet (1966): Dir. Paul Czinner
Feat. Margot Fonteyn, Rudolph Nureyev; The famed Royal Ballet production of Romeo and Juliet. This historical performance stars Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev as the quintessential…
Taming of the Shrew (1966): Dir. Franco Zeffirelli
Feat. Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor; Famous couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor star as Petruchio and Katharina in this spirited parody of gender role plays. Zeffirelli succeeds…
Chimes at Midnight (1965): Dir. Orson Welles
Feat. Orson Welles, Keith Baxter, John Gielgud…; Orson Welles' late–career masterpiece in which one of the Bard's great supporting characters Falstaff is given his due through a series of…
Othello (1965): Dir. Stuart Burge
Feat. Laurence Olivier, Derek Jacobi, Maggie Smith…; Laurence Olivier transposes his stage performance of Othello for the screen with able supporting cast.
Hamlet (1964): Dir. Grigori Kozintsev
Feat. Innokenti Smoktunovsky; The legendary Russian version of Shakespeare's play, which visually at least, stands as the greatest yet. Staged amidst the massive battlements of…
Hamlet (1964): Dir. Bill Colleran, John Gielgud
Feat. Richard Burton, Hume Cronyn; Highly successful Richard Burton Broadway production of "Hamlet", deliberately staged in the style of a "dress rehearsal", but performed in front of…
Bad Sleep Well, The (1960): Dir. Akira Kurosawa
Feat. Toshiro Mifune; A contemporary gangster saga that uses a Hamlet–esque narrative to indict corporate and political corruption. Government officials were not…
Throne of Blood (1957): Dir. Akira Kurosawa
Feat. Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura; Kurosawa transposes MacBeth into a Samurai setting and the result justifies his reputation. Nothing short of an awesome spectacle Shakespeare himself…
Richard III (1955): Dir. Laurence Olivier
Feat. Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson; Laurence Olivier's third cinematic translation of Shakespeare both as actor and director. His performance borders on high camp as the twisted 15th…
Romeo and Juliet (1954): Dir. Renato Castellani
Feat. Laurence Harvey, Susan Shentall, Mervyn Jones…; An Italian co–production, this version benefits from magical locations in Verona and Venice and the sumptuous Renaissance–influenced eye…
Julius Caesar (1953): Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Feat. Marlon Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud…; Marlon Brando, James Mason and John Gielgud star in this beautifully staged Hollywood adaptation. Passionate drama of power, conspiracy and murder in…
King Lear (1953): Dir. Andrew McCollough
Feat. Orson Welles, Wesley Addy; Sturdy made–for–TV adaptation, with Orson Welles in the grizzly, titular role.
Othello (1952): Dir. Orson Welles
Feat. Orson Welles, Micheál Mac Liammóir, Suzanne Cloutier…; Dir. Welles filmed Shakespeare's great tragedy over four years in Europe and North Africa, and despite some patchy moments, turned in probably the…
Hamlet (1948): Dir. Laurence Olivier
Feat. Laurence Olivier, Eileen Herlie, Basil Sydney…; The Oscar winner of Best Picture, Actor, Art direction and Costume, Laurence Olivier's version soars with vitality and atmosphere. A classic.
Macbeth (1948): Dir. Orson Welles
Feat. Orson Welles, Jeanette Nolan, Roddy McDowall; An expressionistic version of Shakespeare’s Scottish play, with Welles in the title role. Shot quickly and on the cheap, this is notoriously…
Henry V (1944): Dir. Laurence Olivier
Feat. Laurence Olivier, Robert Newton, Leslie Banks; Brimming with zest, this Shakespeare adaption became an instant classic when released, featuring Laurence Olivier in full sail as the youthful…
As You Like It (1936): Dir. Paul Czinner
Feat. Laurence Olivier, Elisabeth Bergner, Sir Felix Aylmer…; Early cinematic adaptation of the bard's comedy is stagey and very mannered, but boasts an exceptional cast with a young Olivier a stand out.

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