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The Taming of the Shrew

The merchant Baptista has two daughters, but the younger, daintier daughter, Bianca, cannot be married before her strong-willed sister, Katherina. What's a suitor to do? The basis of Hollywood films like Ten Things I Hate About You, this classic romantic comedy is fun for the whole family. 

The Adventures of Pericles

Pericles, prince of Tyre, is a suitor for the hand of the beautiful daughter of Antiochus, king of Antioch. But all suitors must correctly answer a riddle he gives to earn her hand; if they fail, they are executed. Will Pericles be triumphant? 

Hamlet

A classic tale of betrayal, murder, and revenge, staged by the world-renowned Stratford Festival. Prince Hamlet is told by his father's ghost that his uncle Claudius has murdered him and married his widow.

Twelfth Night (1988)

Thames Television presents the Renaissance Theatre Company's acclaimed production of Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night. A brother and sister are separated in a shipwreck, but survive to be washed up on the shore of Illyria. The sister, Viola, disguises herself as a man and takes service with the Duke Orsino who has fallen...

Macbeth (1979)

Macbeth is a daring member of the Scottish military who receives a revelation from three menacing sorceresses that he will someday become the King of Scotland. This information gives him a thirst for power, and with prompting from his wife, Lady Macbeth, he kills the current leader in order to take the throne. But he must...

Romeo and Juliet (2014)

The digitally captured production of the 2013 Broadway revival of "Romeo and Juliet" stars Orlando Bloom and two-time Tony-nominated Condola Rashad. The production ran for 93 performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre from September 19th to December 8th, 2013. It is the 36th time "Romeo and Juliet" has appeared on...

Antony & Cleopatra (2015)

Reason and judgement prove no match for the tsunami of mutual passion engulfing Mark Antony, one of the three joint rulers of the Roman republic, and Cleopatra, the seductive queen of Egypt. Surrendering everything to their desires, they open the floodgates to a civil conflict that will shake the very foundations of their...

King John (2015)

War is the inevitable result when the King of France demands that John relinquish his crown in favour of his nephew, the young Prince Arthur. Excommunication, attempted atrocity, rebellion and assassination all contribute to a political and personal turmoil that finds devastating expression in an anguished mother’s grief for...

King Lear (2015)

An aging monarch resolves to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, with consequences he little expects. His reason shattered in the storm of violent emotion that ensues, with his very life hanging in the balance, Lear loses everything that has defined him as a king – and thereby discovers the essence of his own...

King Lear (2008)

Ian McKellen gives a tour-de-force performance as Shakespeare's tragic titular monarch in this special television adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company production of one the playwright's most enduring and haunting works.

Closed Captions Available.

Hamlet (1990)

With a daring and depth few of his American contemporaries seem prepared to match, Kevin Kline both starred in and directed HAMLET for the New York Shakespeare Festival.  Now with the felicitous addition of Kirk Browning as co-director, he has brought his indelible HAMLET to television where, as The New York Times stated,...

Othello (1990)

A slightly updated version of Othello set in the 19th century Cyprus, where all characters wear uniforms and dresses from the American Civil War era. Othello, a heroic aging Moroccan mercenary marries beautiful and loving Desdemona, daughter of a general. Their love has no match, but their doom is spelled by none other than...

The Life and Death of King John

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Leonard Rossiter and John Thaw star. King John's young nephew, Arthur, has a claim to the English throne, which is supported by the French monarch. When King John rejects this claim, war is declared between England and France. Young Arthur finds his life threatened and...

Comedy of Errors

BBC presents Shakespeare's comedy of mistaken identity starring Roger Daltrey and Michael Kitchen as two sets of identical twins. Separated as children, the twins unknowingly find themselves living in the same city as adults. Confusion reigns as they become caught up in a brilliantly contrived series of misunderstandings...

The Tempest

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Michael Hordern and Derek Godfrey star. Exiled, Prospero lives on a desolate island with his daughter, Miranda. When Prospero's usurping brother sails by the island, Prospero conjures a storm that wrecks the ship and changes all of their lives.

Closed Captions...

Measure for Measure (1979)

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Starring Kenneth Colley and Tim Pigott-Smith, the strict Angelo is left in charge of Vienna when the Duke pretends to leave town. Reviving an old law, Angelo sentences the young Claudio to death for pre-marital sex. When Claudio's sister, Isabella, pleads for his life,...

Julius Caesar

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Starring Richard Pasco as the title character. Julius Caesar is a highly ambitious political leader in Rome whose aim is to become dictator. Caesar is assassinated due to the plotting of Marcus Brutus and Cassius, who meet their inevitable defeat and plunge the country into...

Troilus & Cressida

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Suzanne Burden and Anton Lesser take the title roles in Jonathan Miller's production of the classic Shakespeare play. The seven-year siege of Troy by Greek forces has reached stalemate. The Trojan King has carried off Helen, wife of Menelaus the Greek King and Achilles...

Henry VI Part III

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. The end of Henry VI’s saga stars Peter Benson and Julia Foster. After the War of the Roses, Henry’s supporters clash with the victorious House of York.

Closed Captions Available.

Henry VI Part II

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Directed by Jane Howell, the continuing saga of Shakespeare's Henry VI stars Peter Benson, Julia Foster and Bernard Hill. The play chronicles the War of the Roses, the bloody battle for the throne between the Houses of York and Lancaster, and the disintegration of Henry's...

Titus Andronicus

BBC Presents the classic play by William Shakespeare starring Trevor Peacock and Eileen Atkins. The great warrior, Titus Andronicus, returns home from war victorious with an imprisoned Tamora, Queen of the Goths. In an act of solemn revenge for the death of his children, Titus murders Tamora’s eldest son Alarbus. So begins a...

Henry VI Part I

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Starring Peter Benson in the title role, this is the first play in Jane Howell's adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry VI history cycle. The seeds of civil war are sown when the power vacuum left by Henry V's early death cannot be filled by the pious Henry VI. The boy king is...

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare starring such greats as Tyler Butterworth and Tessa Peake-Jones. Valentine leaves Verona for Milan, but best friend Proteus is reluctant to join him as he has fallen in love with Julia. When Proteus eventually joins Valentine in Milan, Valentine shares the news that he has...

Henry IV Part II

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Starring Jon Finch. As the reign of King Henry IV draws to a close, the monarch is increasingly saddened by the behavior of his heir, Prince Hal. The young Prince must face up to the great responsibility which will soon be his.

Closed Captions Available.

Henry IV Part I

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Starring Anthony Quayle and Tim Pigott-Smith. Henry Bolingbroke has been crowned King of England, but he faces a rebellion headed by the disillusioned Earl of Northumberland and his son. Henry's son Hal, the Prince of Wales, has taken to heavy drinking and petty theft in...

Timon of Athens

BBC presents one of William Shakespeare’s lesser known works starring Jonathan Price and Sebastian Shaw. Timon’s incredible generosity is known throughout Athens. When his so-called friends take advantage of this, he soon alienates those who are truly loyal to him ending up alone and friendless.

Closed Captions Available.

Richard II

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare with a stellar cast featuring John Gielgud and Derek Jacobi. When King Richard exiles Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray over a dispute, he sows the seeds of his own downfall. Bolingbroke invades England, forcing the vain King to abdicate the throne, and rebellion...

Richard III

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Ron Cook plays the tyrant king in Jane Howell's production of Shakespeare's great history play. Overbrimming with ambition and jealousy, the duplicitous Richard will stop at nothing to claim his brother's throne. One by one Richard eliminates all those who stand in his way...

Measure for Measure (1994)

William Shakespeare’s age-old play exploring the darker side of society is adapted for the modern day by David Thacker starring Tom Wilkinson, Corin Redgrave, and Juliet Aubrey. Sexually transmitted disease is reaching epidemic proportions. Prostitution, licentiousness and petty crime are on the increase and a new government...

Macbeth

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Nicol Williamson plays the title role and Jane Lapotaire portrays Lady Macbeth in Jack Gold's production of the Scottish play. After receiving a prophecy of his future kingship from three witches, and coerced by his scheming wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan but he is...

King Lear (1998)

Ian Holm stars in the title role of this award-winning Royal National Theatre Production of William Shakespeare's King Lear. The cast also includes Timothy West as The Earl of Gloucester, Finbar Lynch as his bastard son, Edmund and Paul Rhys as his legitimate son, Edgar; Barbara Flynn, Amanda Redman and Victoria Hamilton as...

King Lear (1974)

The formidable James Earl Jones reprises his critically acclaimed King Lear in this television adaptation of Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival production.  Of Jones’s performance, The Washington Post wrote, “Jones has the qualities of mind, body, voice and movement which enable him to make us care deeply about...

Henry V

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. This TV adaptation starring Julian Glover, Anna Quayle, and David Gwillim completes the story of Prince Hal's transformation from irresponsible rebel to majestic monarch. Now as King Henry V he is not only triumphant in the fields of France but also victorious in winning...

Henry VIII

BBC presents one of Shakespeare’s lesser known history plays. Henry VIII tells the story of a young King Henry (John Stride) and his trusted advisor Cardinal Wolsey (Timothy West). As the King meets and falls into lust with the beautiful Ann, a web of political and religious intrigue begins to form which leads the King to...

Henry IV Parts I & II

John Caird's adaptation of William Shakespeare's history play of a young man's elevation from immature prince to responsible king explores timeless themes against the brutal backdrop of medieval England and starring Jonathan Firth, Rufus Sewell, and Toby Jones.

Closed Captions Available.

Hamlet (1980)

BBC presents Shakespeare's classic tale of betrayal, murder and revenge. Rodney Bennett's television adaptation of Hamlet stars Derek Jacobi as the most complex of all Shakespeare’s characters. Prince Hamlet is told by his father's ghost that his uncle Claudius has murdered him and married his widow.

Coriolanus

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. Elijah Moshinsky directs this Shakespearian tragedy which chronicles the downfall of a Roman general. Caius Marcius is rewarded with the surname Coriolanus and given the rank of consul following his successes in battle. But his arrogance so incenses the common people that...

As You Like It

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare starring Helen Mirren. When Rosalind falls in love with a young man named Orlando, she is swiftly banished from court by her uncle Duke Frederick. Joined by her cousin Celia and the court jester Touchstone, Rosalind seeks refuge in the forest of Arden disguised as a boy,...

Othelo

William Shakespeare's play is updated in this Chamé Buendia adaptation. Four actors embody all roles in an exploration of gender violence, racism and the role of media in society.

Spanish language, presented with English subtitles.

All's Well That Ends Well

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare starring Ian Charleson and Angela Down. Poor doctor's daughter wins the hand of Bertram, the son of the Countess of Rousillon. Newlywed Helena is abandoned by a petulant Bertram who insists that she may not call him husband until she gets from him a ring, which he always...

The Taming of the Shrew

BBC presents the classic comedy by William Shakespeare starring John Cleese and Sarah Badel as they depict the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina.

Closed Captions Available.

Romeo and Juliet (1978)

BBC presents the classic play by William Shakespeare. This classic romantic tragedy is brought to the screen by director Alvin Rakoff. When Romeo attends a ball given by his family's enemy, the Capulets, he falls in love with Juliet, daughter of the house. They are wedded the next day by Friar Lawrence, who hopes to bring an...

Much Ado About Nothing

BBC presents one of Shakespeare’s most cherished comedies with a cast of greats led by Jon Finch, Cherie Lunghi, and Robert Lindsay. This is the quick-witted story of pride, love and jealousy. When Don Pedro visits the house of the Governor of Messina, he brings with him his half-brother Don John, and his two soldiers...

Cymbeline

BBC presents Shakespeare's symbolic romance starring Helen Mirren and Richard Johnson. King Cymbeline's daughter, the virtuous Imogen, marries the humble Posthumus in secret much to the disappointment of her stepmother. Posthumus is banished by the King and what follows is a tale of disguise, deceit, poison and...

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1997)

Pacific Northwest Ballet displays all the vitality, brilliance and versatility of its wonderful dancers in this award-winning production of Balanchine's first original full-length ballet. Shakespeare's comic fantasy of love's delusions set to the music of Felix Mendelssohn is a guaranteed audience pleaser.

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