Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 - April 23, 1616) is reputed to be the greatest of all writers in the English language, or indeed in any language. His ability to capture and convey the most profound aspects of human nature is regarded by many as unequalled, and the English Renaissance has often been called "the age of Shakespeare". He was among few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy and several of his plays contain songs that are among the finest lyric poems in English. His prolific output is especially impressive in light of the fact that he lived only 53 years.
"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." - Will Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Shakespeare Retold (2005)
Director: Ed Fraiman
Starring: Imelda Staunton, Bill Paterson, Lennie James, Sharon Small, Zoe Tapper, Dean Len...
Polly (Imelda Staunton) and Theo (Bill Paterson) have come to Dream Park to celebrate the engagement of their daughter in this updated BBC version of... Read more
Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare Retold (2005)
Director: Brian Percival
Starring: Sarah Parish, Damian Lewis, Tom Ellis, Billie Piper, Martin Jarvis, Olivia Colma...
Set in the contemporary world of broadcasting, Beatrice (Sarah Parish) is an ambitious anchor who finds herself back working with detested 'old flame'... Read more
The Taming of the Shrew - Shakespeare Retold (2005)
Director: David Richards
Starring: Shirley Henderson, Rufus Sewell, Jaime Murray, Stephen Tompkinson, Twiggy, Davi...
Katherine (Shirley Henderson) is a successful politician with a chance at the party leadership, but her abrasive temper has left her a 38-year-old sin... Read more
Shakespeare Behind Bars (2005)
7.6/10
Director: Hank Rogerson
At the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Kentucky some well-behaved prisoners are taking part in the Shakespeare program. This year, t... Read more
The Merchant of Venice (2004)
7.1/10
Director: Michael Radford
Starring: Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins, Zuleikha Robinson, Kris M...
Al Pacino takes the lead role of Shylock the moneylender in one of Shakespeare's most searing plays, with Jeremy Irons as the melancholy Antonio who o... Read more
In Search of Shakespeare (2004)
8.2/10
Director: David Wallace
Starring: Michael Wood
He is the most famous of Englishmen, and yet our biographical knowledge of William Shakespeare has always been scant. Now Michael Wood - with the help... Read more
O ( Othello ) (2001)
6.2/10
Director: Tim Blake Nelson
Starring: Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett, Julia Stiles, Martin Sheen, Rain Phoenix, John Hear...
Shakespeare goes to high school in this controversial revamping of the Bard's "Othello." The setting is a modern-day suburban prep school wh... Read more
Hamlet (Scott) (2000)
7.8/10
Director: Campbell Scott
Starring: Blair Brown, Roscoe Lee Browne, LisaGay Hamilton, Campbell Scott
Campbell Scott co-directs and stars as Hamlet in this excellent made-for-television version of Shakespeare's popular tragedy. The classic tale centres... Read more
Hamlet (Hawke) (2000)
7.8/10
Director: Michael Almereyda
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Diane Venora, Kyle MacLachlan, Julia Stiles, Bill Murray, Liev Schr...
Shakespeare's tragedy is turned into a modern morality tale with Ethan Hawke as the title character, now an angry film student suspicious of widowed m... Read more
The Winter's Tale (1999)
7.7/10
Director: Robin Lough, Gregory Doran
Starring: Antony Sher, Alexandra Gilbreath
The complete and unedited production of Shakespeare's classic play performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1999 at the Barbican. King Leontes of... Read more