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…
Lion King, The (1994): Not only the king of animated success stories, but very close to the top grossing movie of all time, thanks not only to Disney's marketing beast but…
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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