Shakespeare at the BBC: Comedies

STARRING JOHN CLEESE, ROBERT HARDY, FELICITY KENDALL, ROBERT LINDSAY, CHERIE LUNGHI, HELEN MIRREN

William Shakespeare’s repute spans the world – the beauty of his language, his profound insight into human nature and the complexity and integrity of his characters, confirming him as the greatest ever playwright. In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare’s plays for television. The resulting productions, renowned for their loyalty to the text, utilised the best theatrical and television directors and brought acclaimed performances from some of the finest actors. This collection includes 5 of the hugely popular comedies:

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

THE WINTER’S TALE

TWELFTH NIGHT