Sir John Falstaff is the hero in this compilation of extracts from Shakespeare's 'Henry IV' and other plays, combined into a story of Falstaff's career as young Prince Hal's drinking companion. The massive knight roisters with and without the prince, philosophises comically, goes to war (in his own fashion), before settling into life in medieval Englande. find out more...

A warrior and not a politician, Coriolanus found the citizens of Rome turning against him. As he sought to wreak his anger on the city, it was left to his mother to prevent a bloody battle. A compelling study of family, loyalty, war and politics, and an acclaimed production well-served by an experienced cast. Being from the BBC stable it can be relied on as a top notch and faithful version of the play. find out more...

Nat Jester says: "This is a good attempt at a directorial debut from Ralph Fiennes, which, like Baz Lurhman's Shakespeare adaptation Romeo + Juliet, brings an old tale into the present while retaining original dialogue. Fiennes is brilliant as Caius 'Coriolanus' Martius, giving the sense of a man who cares for his country, but just can't seem to make the right move. James Nesbit is also good as a schemening senator and Vanessa Redgrave does an outstanding job of playing the family matriarch, find out more...

This is the Shakespearean opus containing many a familiar line, "Once more into the breach dear friends..." amongst them, and spoken by an absolutely outstanding cast. A must to watch, even if it's not on your school syllabus! find out more...

Not the Kenneth Branagh version nor Olivier's but one that compares reasonably neverthess - and a more faithful rendering at that! Probably the most useful for the purposes of study. find out more...

One of the BBC's typically exemplary adaptation of one of the great Bard's works performed by pretty much the cream of British theatre. It is the first in the cycle of four plays often referred to as "The Wars of the Roses". find out more...

One of the BBC's typically exemplary adaptation of one of the great Bard's works performed by pretty much the cream of British theatre. It is the third in the cycle of four plays often referred to as "The Wars of the Roses". find out more...

One of the BBC's typically exemplary adaptation of one of the great Bard's works performed by pretty much the cream of British theatre. It is the second in the cycle of four plays often referred to as "The Wars of the Roses". find out more...

Ran, Kurosawa's last great epic, is a Jidaigeki (Japanese period drama) depicting the fall of Hidetora Ichimonj, an ageing Sengoku-era warlord who abdicates as ruler in favor of his three sons. His kingdom slowly disintegrates as the sons struggle for power, murdering rivals and laying waste to the land, and Hidetora goes insane after watching his retainers slaughtered in an epic massacre, the centrepiece of the film. As the kingdom crumbles and rival warlords move in for the kill, the Ichimonji find out more...

The BBC's exhaustive and typically exemplary adaptations of some of the great bard's best known plays and a number of his lesser known works. All filmed between the late 1970s and early 1980s and performed by pretty much the cream of British theatre. find out more...