Showing results by author "William Shakespeare" in All Categories

How did Shakespeare sound to the audiences of his day? For the first time, this audio offers listeners the chance to hear England's greatest playwright performed by a company of actors using the pronunciation of his time. Under the guidance of Ben Crystal, actor, author of Shakespeare on Toast, and an expert in original Shakespearian pronunciation, the company performs some of Shakespeare's best-known poems, solo speeches, and scenes from the plays.

There plenty of spooky action in this volume of tales. Ghosts, apparitions, entire armies of fairies and fairy queens. The volume opens with Shakespeare's timeless classic A Midsummer Night's Dream and continues to get more frightening with haunted castles in Leskov's The Ghost of the Engineers' Castle.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The happiest season of them all. This volume offers selected sorties dedicated to Christmas and winder seasons from some of the best storytellers such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, William Shakespeare, L. Frank Baum, Anton Chekhov. There'll be tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago. And hearts will be glowing. The collection opens with 'The Heavenly Christmas Tree' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, followed by 'At Christmas Time' from Anton Chekhov. In the second part we have 'A Kidnapped Santa Claus' by L. Frank Baum, followed by The Winter's Tale from William Shakespeare. 

The theme of romance continues in this volume and begins with iconic 'The Lady with the Dog' by Anton Chekhov. Set in Yalta, Crimea, appears at first as a holiday romance. Gurov is a married man but he holidays on his own and has a history of holiday affairs. He meets the lady of the story’s title with her Pomeranian dog. But Chekhov’s love stories are not romantic accounts of unrequited love or of love at first sight. Or, even of tortured love that is amplified by the agony of being unfulfilled. No, these are Chekhovian tales that surprise and intrigue our imagination. The second of this collection continues with King Lear. 

Shakespeare instructed by delighting. His comedies and tragedies contain more actual wisdom than the whole body of English learning. He is the teacher of all good - pity, generosity, true courage, love. His bright wit is cut out into little stars. This collection of Shakespeare tales includes The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and Cymbeline. These timeless stories are retold in modern English, retaining all key elements of Shakespeare's original story line, characters and wisdom. Read in English, unabridged.

The Marlowe Society perform Shakespeare's tragedy based on the life of the Roman Leader Gaius Martius Coriolanus.

This BBC Radio production stars much-loved actor and comedian Lenny Henry, who won the Evening Standard’s Best Newcomer Award for his stunning performance as the tortured Moor. First performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, it subsequently toured the country before arriving in London’s West End where Henry received rave reviews.

A selection of stories about love and romance from the best storytellers of the world including Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Turgenev trying to express love in all its forms. This volume opens with iconic Romeo and Juliet's tragic love story dating back to antiquity, followed by very passionate and quite unusual love between a doctor and his patient in 'The District Doctor' by Ivan Turgenev. And last, but not least, a story from the master of human relationship and psychology, Anton Chekhov and his story of 'The Man in a Case'. Read in English, unabridged. 

Cymbeline, the Roman Empire's vassal king of Britain, once had two sons, Guiderius and Arvirargus, but they were stolen twenty years earlier as infants by an exiled traitor named Belarius. Cymbeline now discovers that his only child left, his daughter Imogen, has secretly married her lover Posthumus Leonatus, an otherwise honourable man of Cymbeline's court. This edition of Cymbeline is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's work. Read in English, unabridged. 

This selection of stories and tales is perfect for that cold winter night to cosy up around fireplace and enter magical world of far away lands or kingdoms of the past. This volume opens with two tales from Beatrix Potter: 'The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse' and 'The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin', followed by 'Puss in Boots' by Charles Perrault. And in the second half we have Anton Chekhov's story, 'A Gentleman Friend', followed by William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. Read in English, unabridged. 

Shakespeare was familiar with all beautiful forms and images, with all that is sweet or majestic in the simple aspects of nature and human life, of that indestructible love, and clear waters, and soft airs and sounds, and bright skies and woodland solitudes, and moon-light bowers. The writings of Shakespeare have been justly termed the richest, the purest, the fairest, that genius uninspired ever penned. 

Pericles, the young Prince of Tyre in Phoenicia, modern day Lebanon, hears the riddle, and instantly understands its meaning: Antiochus is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter. If he reveals this truth, he will be killed, but if he answers incorrectly, he will also be killed. This edition of Pericles is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's work. Read in English, unabridged. 

Here, in all 154 of Shakespeare's immortal sonnets, addressed to a friend about the woman he loves and to his muse. We discover the promise of youth, the ecstasy of love, and the devastation of loss.

Sir Laurence Olivier and Elizabeth Bergner star in this full stage dramatization of Shakespeare's classic.

Some of the most stirring scenes Shakespeare ever wrote resonate powerfully in this dramatic radio production. Tortured madness, pure evil and the fatal struggle for power grip the listener until the final, shockingly tragic conclusion. Starring Corin Redgrave as King Lear, with Justine Waddell as Cordelia, Robert Glenister as Edgar, Geraldine James as Goneril and Kika Markham as Regan. 

Celebrated actress Dame Edith Evans selects and reads a collection of Shakespeare's greatest sonnets.

Award-winning drama from SmartPass. Unabridged, with guided description to set the scene and fill in visual moments.

From the creators of SmartPass guides, named 2004 & 2005 Best Drama, Best Original audio winners at the Spoken Word Awards.

Orson Welles presents a condensed version of Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night.

Coriolanus tells of a proud Roman general who captures the town Corioli but subsequently falls from favour with the Roman people. He allies himself with the Volscians and leads an attack on Rome, but allegiances are won and lost before the final tragic end.

The Winter's Tale follows two childhood friends: Leontes, King of Sicilia, and Polixenes, the King of Bohemia. Polixenes is visiting the kingdom of Sicilia and is enjoying catching up with his old friend. However, after nine months, Polixenes yearns to return to his own kingdom to tend to affairs and see his son. This edition is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous comedy, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's drama. Read in English, unabridged.