Shakespeare Classics

Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy with a relatively small cast by Shakespeare's standards. It is possibly one of Shakespeare's first plays, and some regard it as a relatively immature work written between 1587 and 1593. It may even be Shakespeare's first play. This production is abridged in plain English, producing a condensed version of the play without the complexity of Shakespeare's sometimes obtuse language. Though a comedy, the play focuses on the themes of love and friendship and the conflict between them.

Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. This edition of The Merchant of Venice is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.

Petruchio tames Katherina, an unwilling participant in the relationship, with various psychological torments, such as keeping her from eating and drinking, until she becomes a desirable, compliant and obedient bride. This edition of The Taming of the Shrew is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites William Shakespeare's Sonnet 1.

A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler.

This edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous comedy. The events surrounding the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons.

Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar on the erroneous belief that she has been unfaithful. This edition of Much Ado About Nothing is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous comedy, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of Shakespeare's original drama.

This edition of King Lear is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous tragedy. The story depicts the gradual descent into madness of the title character after he disposes of his kingdom, giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all. Narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of Shakespeare's original drama. Read in English, unabridged.

The theme of romance continues in this volume and begins with iconic 'The Lady with the Dog' by Anton Chekhov. Set in Yalta, Crimea, appears at first as a holiday romance. Gurov is a married man but he holidays on his own and has a history of holiday affairs. He meets the lady of the story’s title with her Pomeranian dog. But Chekhov’s love stories are not romantic accounts of unrequited love or of love at first sight. Or, even of tortured love that is amplified by the agony of being unfulfilled. No, these are Chekhovian tales that surprise and intrigue our imagination. The second of this collection continues with King Lear.

Shakespeare instructed by delighting. His comedies and tragedies contain more actual wisdom than the whole body of English learning. He is the teacher of all good - pity, generosity, true courage, love. His bright wit is cut out into little stars. This collection of Shakespeare tales includes The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and Cymbeline. These timeless stories are retold in modern English, retaining all key elements of Shakespeare's original story line, characters and wisdom. Read in English, unabridged.

There plenty of spooky action in this volume of tales. Ghosts, apparitions, entire armies of fairies and fairy queens. The volume opens with Shakespeare's timeless classic A Midsummer Night's Dream and continues to get more frightening with haunted castles in Leskov's The Ghost of the Engineers' Castle.

Cymbeline, the Roman Empire's vassal king of Britain, once had two sons, Guiderius and Arvirargus, but they were stolen twenty years earlier as infants by an exiled traitor named Belarius. Cymbeline now discovers that his only child left, his daughter Imogen, has secretly married her lover Posthumus Leonatus, an otherwise honourable man of Cymbeline's court. This edition of Cymbeline is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's work. Read in English, unabridged.

Pericles, the young Prince of Tyre in Phoenicia, modern day Lebanon, hears the riddle, and instantly understands its meaning: Antiochus is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter. If he reveals this truth, he will be killed, but if he answers incorrectly, he will also be killed. This edition of Pericles is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's work. Read in English, unabridged.

The Winter's Tale follows two childhood friends: Leontes, King of Sicilia, and Polixenes, the King of Bohemia. Polixenes is visiting the kingdom of Sicilia and is enjoying catching up with his old friend. However, after nine months, Polixenes yearns to return to his own kingdom to tend to affairs and see his son. This edition is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous comedy, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's drama. Read in English, unabridged.

The Merchant of Venice (by William Shakespeare) starring David Serero as Shylock. Adapted in a Jewish Sephardi style.

The Passionate Pilgrim was an anthology of 20 poems attributed to William Shakespeare - but which present-day scholars think just five were actually written by the Bard. Here, the most popular four poems, 'The Passionate Pilgrim', 'Sonnets to Sundry Notes of Music', 'A Lover's Complaint', and 'The Phoenix and The Turtle' are read by Edith Evans, Donald Wolfit, Joan Hart, and William Squire.

A retelling of Shakespeare's most famous comedy, made accessible to younger listeners but still true to the Bard's verse and vocabulary. Mischief is in the air when the King and Queen of the Fairies quarrel, and Puck is left in charge of the love potion. Four young people are lost in the woods on midsummer's night. Will they find each other and true love, or will Puck's meddling leave them broken hearted and alone?

Bart Wolffe reads Mary Lamb's tale of A Midsummer Night's Dream, based on Shakespeare's work. Music by David Moore and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performing Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Dame Edith Evans reads the poetry of Lord Byron, William Blake, and William Shakespeare amongst many others.

This drama is a retelling of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, made accessible to younger listeners but still true to the Bard's original style and vocabulary. On a dark heath, Macbeth stumbles across three witches who can see into the future. What he hears will change everything. Encouraged by his wife, he decides to kill in order to gain the Scottish crown. How many people will die in his pursuit of power? With armies, ghosts and magic against him, will Macbeth survive in this tale of greed and betrayal?