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Subgenre Sampler

 
Hollow Crown, The: Wars of the Roses (TV Series)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…
MacbethMacbeth (2015) Recommended
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 StageNational 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…
CymbelineCymbeline (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…
Romeo and JulietRomeo 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 SongRomeo 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…
Hollow Crown, The (TV Series)Hollow Crown, The (TV Series) (2012) Recommended
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 NothingMuch Ado About Nothing (2012) Aro Favourite
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.…
AnonymousAnonymous (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…
CoriolanusCoriolanus (2011) Recommended
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 DoryHunky 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…
Tempest, TheTempest, 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…
HamletHamlet (2009) Recommended
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 WellesMe and Orson Welles (2009) Recommended
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 LearKing 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 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 ItAs 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…
MacbethMacbeth (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, TheWinter'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)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…
Merchant of Venice, TheMerchant of Venice, The (2004) Recommended
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…
OthelloOthello (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…
HamletHamlet (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…
Merchant of Venice, TheMerchant 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…
OO (Othello) (2000) Recommended
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…
TitusTitus (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…
HamletHamlet (1997) Recommended
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 JulietWilliam Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Romeo + Juliet) (1997) Aro Favourite
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…
Richard IIIRichard III (1996) Recommended
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…
OthelloOthello (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 NothingMuch Ado About Nothing (1993) Recommended
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 BooksProspero'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…
HamletHamlet (1990) Recommended
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 IVHenry 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 VHenry V (1989) Recommended
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 VHenry 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 VIHenry 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 IIKing 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 IIIKing 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…
RanRan (1985) Recommended
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 7BBC 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 LearKing Lear (1984) Recommended
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…
Anthony and CleopatraAnthony 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 LearKing 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.
MacbethMacbeth (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 IIIRichard 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, TheTempest, 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 6BBC 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 LearKing 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 JulietRomeo 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 WellAll'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 CleopatraAntony 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 VIHenry 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.
OthelloOthello (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 AthensTimon 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, TheWinter'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.
HamletHamlet (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,…
Tempest, TheTempest, 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 2Henry 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 VHenry 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 VIIIHenry 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 CaesarJulius 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.
MacbethMacbeth (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 MeasureMeasure 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.
Richard IIRichard 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 JulietRomeo 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.
Romeo and JulietRomeo 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.
King LearKing 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…
Twelfth NightTwelfth 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…
Chimes at MidnightChimes at Midnight (1965) Aro Favourite
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…
HamletHamlet (1964) Aro Favourite
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…
Bad Sleep Well, TheBad 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…
King LearKing Lear (1953)
Dir. Andrew McCollough
Feat. Orson Welles, Wesley Addy
Sturdy made–for–TV adaptation, with Orson Welles in the grizzly, titular role.
OthelloOthello (1952) Recommended
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…

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