Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1782 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-11-14
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 37
• Running time: 5940 minutes

Synopsis
The BBC Shakespeare is a unique collection of some of the finest dramas in the English language, each production a celebration of the greatest talents in contemporary British theatre and television. These plays feature the cream of the 20th century's acting talent. Among the great actors featured in these plays are: Laurence Olivier, Brenda Blethyn, John Gielgud, Jonathan Pryce, Michael Hordern, Felicity Kendall, Diana Rigg, John Hurt, Bernard Hill, John Cleese, Zoe Wanamaker and Robert Lindsay.

Thirty-seven features from the BBC television Shakespeare series from 1978 to 1985. 'Romeo and Juliet', is Shakespeare's tale of a doomed and tragic love between two young lovers from warring families, the 'Capulets' and the 'Montagues'. Also includes: 'Richard II', 'As You Like It', 'Julius Caesar','Measure For Measure', 'Henry VIII', 'Henry IV: Parts I & II', 'Henry V: Parts I & II', 'Twelfth Night', 'Tempest', 'The Taming Of The Shrew', 'The Merchant Of Venice', 'All's Well That Ends Well', 'Winter's Tale', 'Timon Of Athens', 'Antony And Cleopatra', 'Othello', 'Troilus And Cressada', 'The Merry Widow', 'Henry VI: Parts I, II & III', 'The Tragedy Of Richard III', 'Cymbeline', 'The Comedy Of Errors', 'Two Gentlemen Of Verona', 'Coriolanus', 'The Life And Death Of King John', 'Pericles: Prince Of Tyre', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Love's Labour's Lost', 'Titus Andronicus', 'Hamlet', 'King Lear', 'Macbeth' and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

Customer Reviews

...a muse of fire!
How wonderful to have the entire Shakespeare canon at your finger-tips! This is really where current DVD technology comes into its own.

These would be great for any student studying the Bard and his works; to be able to see rather than just read the plays. In any case it is a joy for all of us who are interested.

There may be one or two duds production-wise, but who cares when you have Derek Jacobi's Hamlet, a definitive Twelfth Night, a beautiful All's Well That Ends Well etc etc.

Look out too for Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Brenda Blethyn, Robert Lindsay, Ian Charleson, Jane Lapotaire, Michael Hordern, Helen Mirren , Alan Howard, Anthony Hopkins, Felicity Kendall, Nicol Williamson and Jonathon Pryce...

As someone else here has pointed out, it may seem like a large financial investment, but per dvd it is a bargain and how many nights out at the theatre would you get for that sort of money!

Oh and you get to keep them...forever...

Excellent collection
I recommend this collection highly to all Shakespeare lovers. Ever since I've received it, I've watched one play almost every night,and I've enjoyed very much the plays I've seen so far. It is great to have the entire collection, and not just a few plays, and even though there are edits and inevitable directorial interpretations, I feel these productions are more faithful to Shakespeare than some cinematic endeavours we've been used to, if only because the relative barrenness of the settings is more historically faithful to original practices and thus more attention is paid to Shakespeare's language. For in language, both spoken as well as body language, is where the power of Shakespeare's drama lies, and this is very evident in the BBC productions. Having said that, I will add that a lot of attention has been paid to settings and costumes.

Casts of wonderful actors make the characters really come alive. Jane Lapotaire is wonderful as Cleopatra and as Lady Macbeth, Anthony Quayle is a memorable Falstaff in the two parts of Henry IV, Tim Piggott Smith captures Hotspur perfectly in the same, Jon Finch looks exactly as I've imagined the usurping Bolingbroke to look, the 14 year old Rebecca Saire is a superb Juliet, the plebeians in Julius Caesar resemble contemporary tradesmen and speak in a sort of delightful Cockney accent. These are just a few examples from the plays I've had time to watch so far. Crucially, I was delighted to see the actors do the roles in different ways than the cinematic productions often condition us to think about the characters. For instance, look out for Juliet's nanny in the BBC production as opposed to that in Zefirelli's film.

It is also interesting to see some very well known British actors, a mix of Shakespeareans like John Gielgud and Derek Jacobi, along with more popularly known actors such as Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Anthony Hopkins or Clive Swift.

All 37 DVDs come in slim cases, there is also a little brochure with some stills from the productions, an introduction which I found quite interesting, and details about the date, director, and cast of each production. It all comes in a beautiful box, which is a joy to behold. Yes, the top flap on mine is also torn, it seems to have happened to everyone, and the top and bottom of the Antony and Cleopatra slim case was also broken, but I wouldn't exaggerate. It's hardly reason to fault the entire collection. The DVD's themselves are fine, and of excellent quality.

In sum, the collection is very worth investing in, and I'm very glad I bought it. I dare say it is a must for any lover of Shakespeare and something that will stay with you for many years to come.

They have english subtitles
Among reviewers - a possible buyer raised one question: Have these plays, from BBC, English subtitles ? Answer: Yes - they have english subtitles: For the Hard of Hearing. Or for any one else!
Bjorn Bennike - Denmark