British Universities Film & Video Council

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Essential Shakespeare Live, The

Synopsis
A compilation of 20 extracts from live recordings made by the British Library Sound Archive of Royal Shakespeare Company productions over four decades. The set offers scenes and speeches from some of the most celebrated of the Company’ s Shakespeare productions, published here for the first time. The twenty extracts have been selected by Gregory Doran, the RSC’s Associate Director. They range from Laurence Olivier as Coriolanus in 1959 to Judi Dench in All’s Well that Ends Well in 2002. Other productions are Wars of the Roses from 1963, Peter Brook’s King Lear with Paul Scofield, and John Barton’s Richard II with Richard Pasco and Ian Richardson. Actors represented include Peggy Ashcroft, Alan Howard, Derek Jacobi, Ian McKellen, Alan Rickman, Antony Sher, Donald Sinden, Robert Stephens, Patrick Stewart, Janet Suzman and David Warner.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Audio
Year of release
2005
Duration
137 mins

Credits

Contributor
John Barton; Peter Brook; Peter Hall
Cast
Alan HowardKing Henry V
Brian MurrayEdgar, later disguised as Tom o’Bedlam
Donald SindenRichard Plantagenet, Duke of York
Edwin RichfieldDuke of Exeter
Harry AndrewsMenenius Agrippa
John CorvinLord Clifford
John LaurieEarl of Gloucester
Kenneth GilbertAediles
Laurence OlivierCaius Martius Coriolanus
Michael BlakemoreSenator (1)
Oliver Ford DaviesAmbassador
Paul HardwickCominius
Paul ScofieldLear
Peggy AshcroftQueen Margaret

Additional Details

Theatre company
Royal Shakespeare Company
Production type
Sound Recordings(Commercial)
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes
The 2-CD set includes a booklet giving the texts of the extracts from the plays.

Sections

Title
Hamlet
Synopsis
Production directed by Peter Hall. Recorded at the Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 3, Scene 1.

Title
Twelfth Night
Synopsis
Production directed by John Barton. Recorded 22 February 1971 at the Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 2, Scene 5

Title
Julius Caesar
Synopsis
Production directed by Trevor Nunn. Recorded 28 November 1973, Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 1, Scene 2.

Title
Antony and Cleopatra
Synopsis
Production directed by Trevor Nunn. Recorded 12 December 1973, Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 2, Scene 5.

Title
Richard II
Synopsis
Production directed by John Barton. Recorded 23 October 1974, Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 4, Scene 1.

Title
Romeo and Juliet
Synopsis
Production directed by Trevor Nunn. Recorded 4 August 1977, Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 2, Scene 2.

Title
Henry V
Synopsis
Production directed by Terry Hands. Recorded 18 February 1976 at the Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 1, Prologue.

Title
Henry V (1978)
Synopsis
Production directed by Terry hands. Recorded 18 April 1978, Aldwych Theatre, London. From Act 1, Prologue.

Title
Comedy of Errors
Synopsis
Production directed by Trevor Nunn. Recorded 13 August 1977, Aldwych Theatre. From Act 3, Scene 2.

Title
Tempest
Synopsis
Production directed by Ron Daniels. Recorded 3 November 1983, Barbican Theatre. From Act 5, Scene 1.

Title
Richard III
Synopsis
Production directed by Bill Alexander. Recorded 11 June 1985, Barbican Theatre, London. From Act 1, Scene 2.

Title
As You Like It
Synopsis
Production directed by Adrian Noble. Recorded 30 January 1986 at the Barbican Theatre, London. From Act 2, Scene 1.

Title
Merry Wives of Windsor
Synopsis
Production directed by Bill Alexander. Recorded at the Barbican Theatre, London 7 February 1985. From Act 2, Scene 1.

Title
Titus Andronicus
Synopsis
Production directed by Deborah Warner. Recorded 13 July 1988 at the Pit, Barbican, London. From Act 3, Scene 2.

Title
Henry IV, Part 1
Synopsis
Production directed by Adrian Noble. Recored at the Barbican Theatre, London 13 may 1992. From Act 5, Scene 1.

Title
Henry VI, Part 3
Synopsis
Production directed by Michael Boyd. Recorded at the Swan Theatre, Stratford upon Avon 2001. from Act 2, Scene 5.

Title
All’s Well That Ends Well
Synopsis
Production directed by Greg Doran at the Swan Theatre, Stratford upon Avon, 2002. From Act 1, Scene 2.

Title
Coriolanus
Synopsis
Production directed by Peter Hall at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford upon Avon, July 1959. From Act 3, Scene 3.

Title
Wars of the Roses
Synopsis
Production directed by Peter Hall and John Barton at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. Recorded 31 October 1964. From King Henry IV Part 3, Act 1, Scene 4.

Production Company

Name

British Library Sound Archive

Email
listening@bl.uk
Web
http://www.bl.uk/nsa External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7412 7676
Fax
020 7412 7441
Address
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Royal Shakespeare Company, Mail Order

Web
https://www.rsc.org.uk/buyonline/shopping/index.asp?category=65&sessionid=958647199122126557164598758&deptnum=2 External site opens in new window
Phone
01789 748114
Fax
01789 748115
Address
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 6B

Record Stats

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