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...

One of the BBC's exhaustive and typically exemplary adaptations of one of the great Bard's lesser known works performed by pretty much the cream of British theatre. The play, one of Shakespeare's most popular in the 19th Century, focuses on the relationships between Henry, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Cardinal Wolsey. To quote "'Tis better to be lowly born Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief, And wear a golden sorrow". find out more...

Typically superb production from the BBC series that gives the definitive study versions of the great bard's plays. find out more...

Adapted from the acclaimed 1997 production by the Royal National Theatre, Ian Holm stars as the tragic monarch, King Lear; wise, headstrong, but blind to his weaknesses. find out more...

As could be expected of Jonathan Miller a sensitive rendition of the play with great performances from a quality cast, particularly Hordern. Its close intimate atmosphere contrasts with the grand bleak scale of Peter Brook's production, also available in store, in a complementary way. The best Lear! find out more...

A Royal Shakespeare Company production of the Bard's work with Ian McKellen in fine form as the truly lost Lear, a sick old man on the edge of dementia, his children scheming against him, his loyalties abused... murder, tragedy but some small redemption. find out more...

For this excellent traditional presentation of Shakespeare's classic work, Olivier gives just the sort of performance we'd expect, he conveys Lear's spirit and the pathos of the situation in which he finds himself with clarity and insight into the character's personality. The costumes are wonderful, as are the sets, the most noteworthy of these being Stonehenge, which is the setting for both the first and final scenes. Very little of the text has been omitted and, with the possible exception of find out more...

Decidedly downbeat rendition of Shakespeare's tragic epic, developed from director Peter Brook's highly acclaimed stage production and filmed against the bleak backdrop of freezing Jutland, Denmark. Heavy going and plodding, but an excellent performance from Paul Scofield as the ageing monarch who prematurely divides his kingdom up amongst his daughters, unleashing a trail of tragedy in a world in which everything is rotten. find out more...

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