List of William Shakespeare screen adaptations
More than 420 feature-length film versions of William Shakespeare's plays have been produced, making Shakespeare the most filmed author ever.[1] Some are faithful to the original story and text, while others are adaptations that use only the plots rather than his dialogue.
History
"When 'Shakespeare' meets 'The Movies', two mighty entities converge." |
Harry Keyishian[2] |
Silent Film Era
In the 1900s when the silent film industry began to develop in Europe and America, Shakespearean plays became a small part of its repertoire.
In France and Italy at that time cinema was not considered an art form in itself, but as a medium to present the art of traditional theatre. This idea was named "Film d'Art". Shakespearean plays' "public domain" status have made them attractive to film producers, who wanted freedom from a "faithful" representation of a theatre play.
"It was learned early on that the Bard was poison at the box office and would have to be variously disguised if he was to sell any tickets." |
Luke McKernan[3] |
In the United States, a couple of thousand cheap and wide-spread "nickelodeons" drove the film industry. American film makers then began to seek to attract viewers of higher class. They might also have been influenced by the "Film d'Art" spirit. They set out to shift the themes of their films from stories of contemporary workers, to classical works. Film makers were also responding to calls from religious groups, and the authorities, for a reduction of the amount of brutality displayed in historical films. Film makers chose Shakespearean plays because they were widely respected by both the higher and lower classes of American society, and also because their public domain status avoided copyright issues. The authorities also favored Shakespearean films, since they were suitable tools to construct a new Anglo-American identity on the vast, mostly immigrant, nation. Vitagraph in New York was a notable Shakespearean film studio of this time.[1]
"[I am] less than ever convinced that there is an aesthetic justification for filming Shakespeare at all." |
Graham Greene[4] |
Comedies
All's Well That Ends Well
- See main article All's Well That Ends Well
- BBC Television Shakespeare All's Well That Ends Well (TV, UK, 1980)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
As You Like It
- See main article As You Like It
- As You Like It (USA, 1936)
- Paul Czinner director
- Elisabeth Bergner as Rosalind
- Laurence Olivier as Orlando
- BBC Television Shakespeare As You Like It (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Helen Mirren as Rosalind
- As You Like It (Canada 1983, Stratford Festival of Canada, Stratford, Ontario) (filmed on stage, 2 hrs 40 min)
- John Hirsch - Director
- Roberta Maxwell as Rosalind
- Andrew Gilles as Orlando
- As You Like It (UK, 1992)
- Christine Edzard director
- Emma Croft as Rosalind
- James Fox as Jaques
- Griff Rhys Jones as Touchstone
- Andrew Tiernan as Orlando & Oliver
- The Animated Shakespeare As You Like It (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Alexei Karayev director
- Sylvestra Le Touzel as the voice of Rosalind
- As You Like It (UK, 2006)
- Kenneth Branagh director
- Bryce Dallas Howard as Rosalind
- Kevin Kline as Jaques
- Alfred Molina as Touchstone
- David Oyelowo as Orlando
The Comedy of Errors
- See main article The Comedy of Errors
Performances
- The Comedy of Errors (UK 1978, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon) (filmed on stage)
- Philip Casson - Director
- Roger Rees as Antipholus of Syracuse
- Mike Gwilym as Antipholus of Ephesus
- Michael Williams as Dromio of Syracuse
- Nickolas Grace as Dromio of Ephesus
- Judi Dench as Adriana
- Francesca Annis as Luciana
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Comedy of Errors (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Michael Kitchen as the Antipholi
- Roger Daltrey as the Dromios
- Suzanne Bertish as Adriana
- The Comedy of Errors (Canada 1983, Stratford Festival of Canada, Stratford, Ontario) (filmed on stage, 1 hr 17 min)
- Richard Monette - Director
- Nicholas Pennell as Aegeon
- Geordie Johnson as Antipholus of Ephesus/Antipholus of Syracuse
- Keith Dinicol as Dromio of Ephesus/Dromio of Syracuse
- Goldie Semple as Adriana
- Lucy Peacock as Luciana
Adaptations
- Angoor (Hindi, India, 1982), a Bollywood adaptation.
- The Boys from Syracuse (USA, 1940), a film of a musical adaptation of the play.
Cymbeline
- See main article Cymbeline
Performances
- Cymbeline (1913, USA)
- Frederick Sullivan director
- Florence La Badie as Imogen
- James Cruze as Posthumous Leonatus
- Cymbeline (1981, USA)
- Patrick Tucker director
- Gail Chugg as Cymbeline
- Rebecca Engle as Imogen
- BBC Television Shakespeare Cymbeline (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Adaptations
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by Cymbeline.
Love's Labour's Lost
- See main article Love's Labour's Lost
- BBC Television Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost (TV, UK, 1985)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Love’s Labour’s Lost (UK, 2000) - part performance and part musical adaptation.
- Kenneth Branagh director and as Berowne
- Alicia Silverstone as the Princess
- music by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and others
Measure For Measure
- See main article Measure for Measure
- BBC Television Shakespeare Measure For Measure (TV, UK, 1978)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Measure for Measure (UK, 1994, TV)
- David Thacker director
- Tom Wilkinson as Duke Vincentio
- Corin Redgrave as Angelo
- Juliet Aubrey as Isabella
- Ian Bannen as Provost
- Ben Miles as Claudio
The Merchant of Venice
- See main article The Merchant of Venice
Performances
- The Merchant of Venice (US, 1973)
- John Sichel director
- Laurence Olivier as Shylock
- Joan Plowright as Portia
- Jeremy Brett as Bassanio
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice (TV, UK, 1980)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The Merchant of Venice (UK, 2003)
- Film of Royal National Theatre’s stage version
- Trevor Nunn director
- Henry Goodman as Shylock
- Derbhle Crotty as Portia
- The Merchant of Venice (USA, 2004)
- Michael Radford director
- Al Pacino as Shylock
- Lynn Collins as Portia
- Jeremy Irons as Antonio
Adaptations
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by The Merchant of Venice.
The Merry Wives of Windsor
- See main article The Merry Wives of Windsor
Performances
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Merry Wives of Windsor (TV, UK, 1982)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Quantum Leap The Merry Wives of Windsor (aka “The Shakespeare Collection”) (TV/video, USA, 1982)
- Jack Manning director
- Leon Charles as Falstaff
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka “Falstaff”) (USA, 1967) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- See also Falstaff (opera) by Verdi, since it and all films derived from it are adaptations of the Falstaff plays, in particular The Merry Wives of Windsor.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
- See main article A Midsummer Night's Dream
Performances
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (USA, 1935)
- Max Reinhardt director
- Olivia de Havilland as Hermia
- James Cagney as Bottom
- Mickey Rooney as Puck
- A Midsummer Night's Dream Royal Shakespeare Company film (UK, 1968)
- Peter Hall director
- Judi Dench as Titania
- Paul Rogers as Bottom
- Diana Rigg as Helena
- David Warner as Lysander
- Ian Holm as Puck
- BBC Television Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream (TV, UK, 1981)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The Animated Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream (TV, Russia and UK, 1992)
- Robert Saakiants director
- Suzanne Bertish as the voice of Titania
- Bernard Hill as the voice of Bottom
- A Midsummer Night's Dream Royal Shakespeare Company film (UK, 1995)
- Adrian Noble director
- Lindsay Duncan as Titania
- Desmond Barrit as Bottom
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (USA, 1999)
- Michael Hoffman director
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania
- Kevin Kline as Bottom
- Rupert Everett as Oberon
- Calista Flockhart as Helena
- Stanley Tucci as Puck
- Midsummer (USA, 1999) sets the Dream story against a surreal backdrop of techno clubs and ancient symbols.
- James Kerwin screenplay and director
- Travis Schuldt as Demetrius
- The Children's Midsummer Night's Dream (UK, 2001) is a film of the play, performed by a cast of children
- Christine Edzard director
Adaptations
- El Sueño de una noche de San Juan (aka "Midsummer Dream", Spain and Portugal, 2005) is an animated adaptation of the Dream story.
- Ángel de la Cruz and Manolo Gómez directors
- Get Over It (2001), a modern musical adaptation set at a highschool which includes another version of the play performed as a show-within-a-show, much like the Pyramus and Thisbe subplay in the original Shakespeare.
- A Midsummer Night's Rave (2002) is a modern adaptation set at a warehouse party
- ShakespeaRe-Told A Midsummer Night's Dream (TV, UK, 2005) is a modern adaptation by Peter Bowker
- Sharon Small as Titania
- Lennie James as Oberon
- Johnny Vegas as Bottom
Much Ado About Nothing
- See main article Much Ado About Nothing
Performances
- Much Ado About Nothing (TV, US, 1973)
- A CBS Television Adaptation of Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival Production
- Sam Waterston as Benedick
- Kathleen Widdoes as Beatrice
- Barnard Hughes as Dogberry
- Douglass Watson as Don Pedro
- Nick Havinga and A.J. Antoon, directors
- BBC Television Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing (TV, UK, 1984)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Much Ado About Nothing (UK, 1993)
- Kenneth Branagh director and as Benedick
- Emma Thompson as Beatrice
- Denzel Washington as Don Pedro
- Robert Sean Leonard as Claudio
- Kate Beckinsale as Hero
- Michael Keaton as Dogberry
- Keanu Reeves as Don John
Adaptations
- ShakespeaRe-Told Much Ado About Nothing (UK, TV, 2005) is a modern adaptation by David Nicholls.
- Sarah Parish as Beatrice
- Damian Lewis as Benedick
- Billie Piper as Hero
- Martin Jarvis as Leonard (the Leonato character)
Pericles
- See main article Pericles, Prince of Tyre
- BBC Television Shakespeare Pericles, Prince of Tyre (TV, UK, 1984)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Mike Gwylim as Pericles
- Edward Petherbridge as Gower
The Taming of the Shrew
- See main article The Taming of the Shrew
Performances
- The Taming of the Shrew (USA, 1929)
- Mary Pickford as Katherine
- Douglas Fairbanks as Petruchio
- The Taming of the Shrew (USA, 1967)
- Franco Zeffirelli director
- Elizabeth Taylor as Katherine
- Richard Burton as Petruchio
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew (TV, UK, 1980)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Jonathan Miller, director
- John Cleese as Petruchio
- Sarah Badel as Katherine
- Quantum Leap The Taming of the Shrew (aka “The Shakespeare Collection”) (TV/video, USA, 19??)
- John Allinson director
- Karen Austin as Katherine
- Franklin Seales as Petruchio
- The Animated Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Aida Ziablikova director
- Amanda Root as the voice of Katherine
- Nigel Le Vaillant as the voice of Petruchio
Adaptations
- Kiss Me, Kate (USA, 1948)
- Howard Keel as 'Petruchio'
- Kathryn Grayson as 'Katerina'
- Ann Miller as 'Bianca'
- Moonlighting (TV, USA; 25 Nov 1986 episode "Atomic Shakespeare") presented the play through multiple fourth-wall layers with a self-referential frame tale, in which a young fan of the TV show has a Shakespeare reading assignment and imagines it as presented by the show's regular cast.
- Will Mackenzie director
- Cybill Shepherd as Katerina
- Bruce Willis as Petruchio
- 10 Things I Hate about You (USA, 1999)
- Julia Stiles as Kat
- Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron
- Larisa Oleynik as Bianca
- Deliver Us from Eva (USA, 2003)
- ShakespeaRe-Told The Taming of The Shrew (UK, TV, 2005) is a modern adaptation by Sally Wainwright.
- Shirley Henderson as Katherine
- Rufus Sewell as Petruchio
- Shrew in the Park (Canada, TV, 2003)
- Andrew Honor director
The Tempest
- See main article The Tempest (play)
Performances
- The Tempest, (USA, 1911)
- Edwin Thanhouser director
- Hallmark Hall of Fame The Tempest (TV, USA, 1960)
- George Schaefer director
- Maurice Evans as Prospero
- Richard Burton as Caliban
- Lee Remick as Miranda
- Roddy McDowall as Ariel
- The Tempest (UK, 1979)
- Derek Jarman director
- Heathcote Williams as Prospero
- Toyah Willcox as Miranda
- "Stormy Weather" sung by Elisabeth Welch
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Tempest (TV, UK, 1980)
- Michael Hordern as Prospero
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Quantum Leap The Tempest (aka “The Shakespeare Collection”) (TV/video, USA, 1983)
- William Woodman director
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Prospero
- Prospero's Books (Netherlands, France, UK, Italy 1991) partial adaptation.
- Peter Greenaway director
- John Gielgud as Prospero
- Isabelle Pasco as Miranda
- The Animated Shakespeare The Tempest (TV, Russia and UK, 1992)
- Stanislav Sokolov director
- Timothy West as the voice of Prospero
Adaptations
- William A. Wellman director
- Gregory Peck as Stretch
- Forbidden Planet (USA, 1956)
- Fred M. Wilcox director
- Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Mobius
- Anne Francis as Alataria
- Leslie Nielsen as the captain
- Paul Mazursky director
- John Cassavetes as Phillip Dimitrious
- Molly Ringwald as Miranda
- Susan Sarandon as Aretha
- Raul Julia as Kalibanos
- The Tempest (USA, 1998)
- Jack Bender director
- Peter Fonda as Gideon Prosper
- King of California (USA, 2007)
- Michael Douglas as Charlie (Based of the character of Prospero)
- Evan Rachel Wood as Miranda
Twelfth Night
- See main article Twelfth Night (play) and its section Film and television adaptions
Performances
- Twelfth Night (film, USA, 1910)
- Eugene Mullin and Charles Kent directors
- Julia Swayne Gordon as Olivia
- Chales Kent as Malvolio
- Florence Turner as Viola
- Edith Storey as Sebastain
- Tefft Johnson as Orsino
- Marin Sais as Maria
- Willim Humphrey as Sir Toby Belch
- James Young as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
- Twelfth Night (TV, UK, 1969)
- John Sichel and John Dexter directors
- Joan Plowright as Viola and Sebastian
- Alec Guinness as Malvolio
- Ralph Richardson as Sir Toby Belch
- Tommy Steele as an unusually prominent Feste
- BBC Television Shakespeare Twelfth Night (TV, UK, 1980)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Twelfth Night (TV, UK, 1988)
- Kenneth Branagh director
- Richard Briers as Malvolio
- Caroline Langrishe as Olivia
- music by Pat Doyle (TRIVIA: the arrangement of Come Away Death in this production is an adaption of Paul McCartney's Once Upon A Long Ago.)
- The Animated Shakespeare Twelfth Night (TV, Russia and UK, 1992)
- Maria Muat director
- Fiona Shaw
- Hugh Grant
- William Rushton as the voice of Sir Toby Belch
- Twelfth Night (UK, 1996)
- Trevor Nunn director
- Imogen Stubbs as Viola
- Helena Bonham Carter as Olivia
- Toby Stephens as Orsino
- Nigel Hawthorne as Malvolio
- Mel Smith as Sir Toby Belch
- Richard E. Grant as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
- Ben Kingsley as Feste
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will (TV, UK, 2003)
- Tim Supple director
- Parminder Nagra as Viola
- Ronny Jhutti as Sebastian
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Orsino
- Claire Price as Olivia
- Maureen Beattie as Maria
- David Troughton as Sir Toby Belch
- Richard Bremner as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
- Zubin Varla as Feste
- Michael Maloney as Malvolio
Adaptations
- She's the Man (US, 2006) adapts the story to a high-school setting
- Andy Fickman director
- Amanda Bynes as Viola
- Channing Tatum as Duke Orsino
- Laura Ramsey as Olivia
- James Kirk as Sebastian
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- See main article The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Two Gentlemen of Verona (TV, UK, 1984)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
The Winter's Tale
- See main article The Winter's Tale
Performances
- BBC Television Shakespeare The Winter's Tale (TV, UK, 1980)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The Animated Shakespeare The Winter’s Tale (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Stanislav Sokolov director
- Anton Lesser
- Jenny Agutter
- RSC – The Winter’s Tale, a straight-to-video filming of the 1999 RSC Barbican production.
- Greg Doran director
- Antony Sher as Leontes
Adaptations
- RSC Production Casebook – The Winter’s Tale a straight-to-video documentary of the RSC production listed separately above, including interviews with Antony Sher, Greg Doran, Cicely Berry (the RSC’s voice coach) and other members of the cast and crew, together with lengthy excerpts from the show itself.
Tragedies
Antony and Cleopatra
- See main article Antony and Cleopatra
Performances
- Antony and Cleopatra, (1972)
- Charlton Heston, director and star, as Antony
- Hildegarde Neil as Cleopatra
- Eric Porter as Enobarbus
- Antony and Cleopatra, (TV, UK, 1974)
- Jon Scoffield director (television version) Trevor Nunn director (stage version)
- Janet Suzman as Cleopatra
- Richard Johnson as Antony
- Patrick Stewart as Enobarbus (TRIVIA: This was his first television role.)
- BBC Television Shakespeare Antony and Cleopatra (TV, UK, 1981)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Adaptations
- Carry On Cleo (UK, 1965) is a Carry On film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.
- Gerald Thomas director
- Kenneth Williams as Caesar
- Sid James as Mark Antony
- Amanda Barrie as Cleopatra
- Kannaki (India, Malayalam, 2002) is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.
- Jayaraaj director
- Lal as Manikyan
- Siddique as Choman
- Nandita Das as Kannaki
Coriolanus
- See main article Coriolanus (play)
- BBC Television Shakespeare Coriolanus (TV, UK, 1984)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Hamlet
- This is a summary of the main article Hamlet on screen.
- See also the main article for the play Hamlet.
The most significant screen performances are:
- Hamlet (Germany, 1920) Svend Gade & Heinz Schall directors
- Hamlet (UK, 1948) Laurence Olivier director
- Hamlet, Prinz von Dänemark (West Germany, 1961) Franz Peter Wirth director
- Hamlet (aka Gamlet) (Russia, 1964) Grigori Kozintsev director
- Hamlet (aka Richard Burton's Hamlet) (1964), Bill Colleran and John Gielgud directors
- Hamlet at Elsinore (TV, UK, 1964) Philip Saville director
- Hamlet (UK, 1969) Tony Richardson director
- BBC Television Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, UK, 1980) Rodney Bennett director
- Hamlet (USA, 1990) Franco Zeffirelli director
- The Animated Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, Russia and UK, 1992) Natalia Orlova director
- Hamlet (UK, 1996) Kenneth Branagh director
- Hamlet (USA, 2000) Michael Almereyda director
- The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark (2007) (AUS, 2007) Oscar Redding director
Adaptations, and films using elements of "Hamlet" include:
- The Bad Sleep Well (aka Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru) (Japan, 1960) Akira Kurosawa director
- Strange Brew (Canada, 1983) Dave Thomas & Rick Moranis directors.
- Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (USA, 1990) Tom Stoppard director
- Renaissance Man (USA, 1994) Penny Marshall director
- The Lion King (USA, 1994) Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff directors.
- In The Bleak Midwinter (aka “A Midwinter’s Tale”) (UK, 1996) Kenneth Branagh director
- Let the Devil Wear Black (USA, 1999) Stacy Title director
- The Banquet, (China, 2006) Feng Xiaogang, director
Julius Caesar
- See main article Julius Caesar (play)
Performances
- Julius Caesar (USA, 1949)
- David Bradley director and as Brutus
- Harold Tasker as Caesar
- Charlton Heston as Mark Antony
- Julius Caesar (USA, 1953)
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz director
- James Mason as Brutus
- John Gielgud as Cassius
- Marlon Brando as Mark Antony
- Julius Caesar (USA, 1970)
- Charlton Heston as Mark Antony
- Jason Robards as Brutus
- John Gielgud as Caesar
- BBC Television Shakespeare Julius Caesar (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The Animated Shakespeare Julius Caesar (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Yuri Kulakov director
- Joss Ackland as the voice of Julius Caesar
Adaptations
- Carry On Cleo (UK, 1965) is a Carry On film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.
- Gerald Thomas director
- Kenneth Williams as Caesar
- Sid James as Mark Antony
- Amanda Barrie as Cleopatra
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by Julius Caesar.
King Lear
- See main article King Lear and its section on film adaptations.
Performances
- Andrew McCullough director
- Orson Welles as Lear
- King Lear (UK, 1970)
- Peter Brook director
- Paul Scofield as Lear
- King Lear (aka Korol Lir) (Russia, 1971)
- Grigori Kozintsev director
- Jüri Järvet as Lear
- New York Shakespeare Festival King Lear (USA, 1974)
- James Earl Jones as Lear
- Raul Julia as Edmund
- Rene Auberjonois as Edgar
- Rosalind Cash as Goneril
- Douglass Watson as Kent
- Tony Davenall director
- Patrick Magee as Lear
- Beth Harris as Goneril
- Ann Lynn as Regan
- Wendy Alnutt as Cordelia
- Patrick Mower as Edmund
- Robert Coleby as Edgar
- BBC Television Shakespeare King Lear (TV, UK, 1982)
- Jonathan Miller director
- Michael Hordern as Lear
- Frank Middlemass as the Fool
- Brenda Blethyn as Cordelia
- Anton Lesser as Edgar
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Michael Elliot director
- Laurence Olivier as Lear
- Leo McKern as Gloucester
- Robert Lindsay as Edmund
- John Hurt as The Fool
- David Threlfall as Edgar
- King Lear (TV, UK, 1997). BBC film of the Royal National Theatre’s stage version. It was televised with an accompanying documentary, including interviews with the director and cast.
- Richard Eyre director
- Ian Holm as Lear
- Barbara Flynn as Goneril
- Amanda Redman as Regan
- Victoria Hamilton as Cordelia
- Timothy West as Gloucester
- Finbar Lynch as Edmund
- Paul Rhys as Edgar
- King Lear (UK, 1999)
- Brian Blessed director and as Lear
- Hildegard Neil as Fool
Adaptations
- Jean-Luc Godard director and Professor Pluggy (equivalent to the Fool)
- Burgess Meredith as Don Learo
- Molly Ringwald as Cordelia
- Peter Sellars as William Shakespeare Junior the Fifth
- Woody Allen as Mr. Alien
- Akira Kurosawa director
- Tatsuya Nakadai as Lord Hidetora (equivalent to King Lear)
- Peter (equivalent to the Fool)
- A Thousand Acres (USA, 1997) is a modern retelling of the Lear story, from the perspective of the Goneril character (Ginny).
- Jocelyn Moorhouse director
- Jason Robards as Larry Cook
- Jessica Lange as Ginny
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Rose
- Jennifer Jason Leigh as Caroline
- King of Texas (TV, USA, 2002) is a Western adaptation of King Lear.
- Uli Edel director
- Patrick Stewart as John Lear
Macbeth
- This is a summary of the main article Macbeth on screen.
- See also the main article for the play Macbeth.
The most significant screen performances are:
- Macbeth (USA, 1948), Orson Welles director
- 'Play of the Month' Macbeth (1965 TV, UK), John Gorrie director
- Macbeth (USA and UK, 1971), Roman Polanski director
- Macbeth (UK, 1978, Royal Shakespeare Company), Trevor Nunn director
- Macbeth (UK, 1981), Arthur Allan Seidelman director
- BBC Television Shakespeare Macbeth (TV, UK, 1983)
- Macbeth (UK, 1997), Jeremy Freeston and Brian Blessed directors
- Macbeth (TV, UK, 1998), Michael Bogdanov director
- The Animated Shakespeare Macbeth (TV, Russia and UK, 1992), Nicolai Serebryakov director
- Macbeth (Video, UK, 2001, Royal Shakespeare Company), Greg Doran director
- Macbeth (2006 film) (Australia, 2006), Geoffrey Wright director
The most significant screen adaptations are:
- Joe MacBeth (UK, 1955), Ken Hughes director
- Throne of Blood (aka Cobweb Castle or Kumonosu-jo) (Japan, 1957), Akira Kurosawa director
- Men of Respect (USA 1991), William Reilly director
- Rave Macbeth (Germany, 2001)
- Scotland, Pa. (USA, 2001), Billy Morrissette director
- Maqbool (India, 2004), Vishal Bharadwaj director
- ShakespeaRe-Told Macbeth (UK, TV, 2005)
Othello
- See main article Othello
Performances
- Dimitri Buchowetzki director
- Emil Jannings as Othello
- Othello (UK, 1946)
- David MacKane director
- Sebastian Cabot as Iago
- Sheila Raynor as Emilia
- Luanna Shaw as Desdemona
- John Slater as Othello
- These are the only actors in this 45-minute condensation.
- Orson Welles director and as Othello
- Micheal MacLiammoir as Iago
- Suzanne Cloutier as Desdemona
- Sergei Yutkevich director and screenplay
- Sergei Bondarchuk as Othello
- Irina Skobtseva as Desdemona
- Andrei Popov as Iago
- Othello (UK, 1965) film of the National Theatre’s stage production.
- Stuart Burge director
- Laurence Olivier as Othello
- Frank Finlay as Iago
- Maggie Smith as Desdemona
- BBC Television Shakespeare Othello (TV, UK, 1980)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Anthony Hopkins as Othello
- Othello (TV, UK, 1990) film of the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage production.
- Trevor Nunn director
- Willard White (the opera singer) as Othello
- Imogen Stubbs as Desdemona
- Ian McKellen as Iago
- The Animated Shakespeare Othello (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Nicolai Serebryakov director
- Colin McFarlane as the voice of Othello
- Gerald McSorley as the voice of Iago
- Sian Thomas as the voice of Desdemona
- Othello (USA, 1995)
- Oliver Parker director
- Laurence Fishburne as Othello
- Kenneth Branagh as Iago
- Irene Jacob as Desdemona
Adaptations
- A Double Life (USA, 1947) is a film noir adaptation of the Othello story, in which an actor playing the moor takes on frightening aspects of his character's personality.
- George Cukor director
- Ronald Colman as Anthony John
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by Othello.
- Kaliyattam (India, 1997)
- Jayaraaj director
- Suresh Gopi as Kannan Perumalayan (Othello)
- Lal as Paniyan (Iago)
- Biju Menon as Kanthan (Cassio)
- Manju Warrier as Thamara (Desdemona)
- Tim Blake Nelson director
- Mekhi Phifer as Odin James
- Josh Hartnett as Hugo
- Julia Stiles as Desi
- Othello (TV, UK, 2001) is an adaptation by Andrew Davies of Shakespeare’s Othello, set in the police force in modern London.
- Omkara (India, 2006)
- Vishal Bharadwaj director
- Ajay Devgan as Omkara 'Omi' Shukla (Othello)
- Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi (Iago)
- Vivek Oberoi as Kesu Firangi (Cassio)
- Kareena Kapoor as Dolly Mishra (Desdemona)
- Konkona Sen Sharma as Indu (Emilia)
- Bipasha Basu as Billo Chamanbahar (Bianca)
- Naseeruddin Shah as Bhaisaab (Duke of Venice)
Romeo and Juliet
- This is a summary of the main article Romeo and Juliet on screen.
- See also the main article for the play Romeo and Juliet.
The most significant screen performances are:
- Romeo and Juliet (USA, 1908), J. Stuart Blackton director
- Romeo and Juliet (USA, 1936), George Cukor director
- Romeo and Juliet (UK, 1954), Renato Castellani director
- Romeo and Juliet (Italy, 1968), Franco Zeffirelli director
- BBC Television Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (TV, UK, 1978)
- The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (USA, 1982), William Woodman director
- Romeo and Juliet (TV, UK, 1988), Joan Kemp-Welch director
- The Animated Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (TV, Russia and UK, 1992) Efim Gamburg director
- Romeo+Juliet (USA, 1996) Baz Luhrmann director
The most significant screen adaptations are:
- West Side Story (USA, 1961), Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins directors
- Romie-0 and Julie-8 (Canada, 1979), Clive A. Smith, director
- Tromeo and Juliet (USA, 1996), Lloyd Kaufman director
- Romeo Must Die (2000), Andrzej Bartkowiak director
Timon of Athens
- See main article Timon of Athens
- BBC Television Shakespeare Timon of Athens (TV, UK, 1981)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Jonathan Miller Director
- Jonathan Pryce as Timon
- Norman Rodway as Apemantus
- The Long Johns as Painter and Poet
Titus Andronicus
- See main article Titus Andronicus
Performances
- BBC Television Shakespeare Titus Andronicus (TV, UK, 1985)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Titus (USA, 1999)
- Julie Taymor director
- Anthony Hopkins as Titus Andronicus
- Jessica Lange as Tamora
- Alan Cumming as Saturninus
- Titus Andronicus (USA, 1999)
- Christopher Dunne director
- Robert Reece (actor) as Titus Andronicus
- Candy K. Sweet as Tamora
Adaptations
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by Titus Andronicus.
Troilus and Cressida
- See main article Troilus and Cressida
Performances
- BBC Television Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida (TV, UK, 1981)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Adaptations
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by Troilus and Cressida.
Histories
Henry IV Part 1
- See main article Henry IV, Part 1
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Tom Fleming as Henry IV
- Robert Hardy as Hal
- Frank Pettingell as Falstaff
- Sean Connery as Hotspur
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry IV Part I (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Anthony Quayle as Falstaff
- Jon Finch as Henry IV
- David Gwillim as Hal
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry IV Part 1 (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays.
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka “Falstaff”) (USA, 1967) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- My Own Private Idaho (USA, 1991) is loosely based on Henry IV, Part 1, with elements from the other "Hal" plays.
- Gus Van Sant director
- River Phoenix as Mike Waters
- Keanu Reeves as Scott Favor
Henry IV Part 2
- See main article Henry IV, Part 2
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Tom Fleming as Henry IV
- Robert Hardy as Hal
- Frank Pettingell as Falstaff
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry IV Part II (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Anthony Quayle as Falstaff
- Jon Finch as Henry IV
- David Gwillim as Hal
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry IV Part 2 (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays.
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka “Falstaff”) (USA, 1967) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- See also My Own Private Idaho.
Henry V
- See main article Henry V (play)
Performances
- Henry V (UK, 1944)
- Laurence Olivier director and as Henry V
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Robert Hardy as Henry V
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry V (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- Henry V (UK, 1989)
- Kenneth Branagh director and as Henry V
- Ian Holm as Fluellen
- Brian Blessed as Exeter
- Emma Thompson as Katherine
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry V (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays.
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka “Falstaff”) (USA, 1967) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV part 1, Henry IV part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- The first series of The Black Adder (TV, UK, 1983), written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, is a parody of Shakespeare’s plays, particularly Macbeth, Richard III and Henry V.
- See also My Own Private Idaho.
Henry VI Part 1
- See main article Henry VI, Part 1
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Terry Scully as Henry VI
- Eileen Atkins as Joan
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- David Warner as Henry VI
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VI Part I (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI – House of Lancaster (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays. This play is formed from Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 1 and from the earlier scenes of Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 2.
Adaptations
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by Henry VI, part 1.
Henry VI Part 2
- See main article Henry VI, Part 2
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Terry Scully as Henry VI
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- David Warner as Henry VI
- Ian Holm as Richard
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VI Part II (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI – House of Lancaster (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays. This play is formed from Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 1 and from the earlier scenes of Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 2.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI – House of York (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays. This play is formed from the later scenes of Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 2 and from Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 3.
Henry VI Part 3
- See main article Henry VI, Part 3
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Terry Scully as Henry VI
- Julian Glover as Edward
- Paul Daneman as Richard
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- David Warner as Henry VI
- Ian Holm as Richard Duke of Gloucester
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VI Part III (TV, UK, 1983)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Henry VI – House of York (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays. This play is formed from the later scenes of Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 2 and from Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 3.
Henry VIII
- See main article Henry VIII (play)
- BBC Television Shakespeare Henry VIII (TV, UK, 1979)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
King John
- See main article King John
- BBC Television Shakespeare King John (TV, UK, 1984)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
Richard II
- See main article Richard II (play)
Performances
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- David William as Richard II
- Tom Fleming as Bolingbroke
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- BBC Television Shakespeare Richard II (TV, UK, 1978)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Richard II (UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays.
- Richard II (UK, TV, 1997)
- Deborah Warner director
- Fiona Shaw as Richard II
- Richard Bremner as Bolingbroke
- Graham Crowden as John of Gaunt
- Kevin McKidd as Hotspur
- Richard The Second (USA, 2004)
- John Farrell director
- Matte Osian as Richard
Adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (aka “Falstaff”) (USA, 1967) is an amalgamation of scenes from Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- Orson Welles director and as Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
Richard III
- See main article Richard III (play)
Performances
- Richard III (UK, 1955)
- Laurence Olivier director and as Richard
- John Gielgud as Clarence
- Ralph Richardson as Buckingham
- Claire Bloom as Lady Anne
- An Age of Kings (UK, TV, Miniseries 1960)
- Michael Hayes director
- Julian Glover as Edward IV
- Paul Daneman as Richard III
- Jerome Willis as Richmond
- The War of the Roses television miniseries 1965
- Directed by John Barton and Peter Hall
- Ian Holm as Richard III
- BBC Television Shakespeare Richard III (TV, UK, 1982)
- Released in the USA as part of the "Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare" series.
- The War of the Roses (English Shakespeare Company) Richard III (UK, 1990)
- A direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington’s 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare’s history plays.
- The Animated Shakespeare King Richard III (TV, Russia and UK, 1994)
- Natalia Orlova director
- Antony Sher as the voice of Richard
- Richard III (1995 film) (UK, 1995)
- Richard Loncraine director
- Ian McKellen as Richard
- Annette Bening as Elizabeth
- Nigel Hawthorne as Clarence
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Lady Anne
- Richard III, 2006, forthcoming
Adaptations
- Tower of London is a horror-film adaptation of the Richard III story.
- Rowland V. Lee director
- Basil Rathbone as Richard
- Boris Karloff as Mord (an executioner)
- Theatre of Blood (UK, 1973)
- Douglas Hickox director
- Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart
- Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart
Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. He kills his critics using methods inspired by Shakespeare's plays, including a murder inspired by Richard III.
- The Goodbye Girl (USA, 1977) contains scenes in which the Richard Dreyfuss character rehearses and performs Richard III.
- The first series of The Black Adder (TV, UK, 1983), written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, is a parody of Shakespeare’s plays, particularly Macbeth, Richard III and Henry V.
- Looking for Richard (USA, 1996) is a documentary account of Al Pacino’s quest to perform Richard III, featuring substantial excerpts from the play. It includes the talents of Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey.
Other
Shakespeare as a character
- Shakespeare Writing 'Julius Caesar' (Silent Short, 1907) is the probable first appearance of Shakepeare as a character.[6]
- William Shakespeare - His Life & Times (TV, UK, 1978) was a 6-part mini-series recounting Shakespeare's life in London. Produced by Cecil Clarke, directed by Mark Collingham and Robert Knights and written by John Mortimer. Tim Curry played Shakespeare, with Nicholas Clay as the Earl of Southampton, Patience Collier as Queen Elizabeth I and Ian McShane as Christopher Marlowe.
- Shakespeare in Love (UK, 1998) is a fictional love story about Shakespeare’s romance with a noblewoman, at the time of writing Romeo and Juliet.
- John Madden director
- Mark Norman and Tom Stoppard screenwriters
- Joseph Fiennes as Will Shakespeare
- Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola De Lesseps
- Colin Firth as Lord Wessex
- Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I
- A Waste of Shame (UK, TV, 2005) is a dramatisation of Shakespeare's life at the time of writing the Sonnets.
- John McKay director
- Rupert Graves as Shakespeare
- Anna Chancellor as Anne Shakespeare
- Tom Sturridge as the Fair Youth (interpreted as William Herbert)
- Indira Varma as the Dark Lady (named Lucie)
- Andrew Tiernan as the Rival Poet (interpreted as Ben Jonson)
- The Shakespeare Code is an episode of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, first screened on 7 April 2007. Dean Lennox Kelly plays the Bard in the story, set in 1599.
- Shakespeare makes cameo appearances in:
Acting Shakespeare
- To Be or Not To Be (USA, 1942) is the story of an acting company in 1939 Poland.
- Ernst Lubitsch director
- Shakespeare Wallah (UK, 1965) is the story of an acting company in India.
- James Ivory director
- Felicity Kendal as Lizzie
- Shashi Kapoor as Sanju
- Madhur Jaffrey (later famous as a TV chef) as Manjula
- The Goodbye Girl (USA, 1977) contains scenes in which the Richard Dreyfuss character rehearses and performs Richard III.
- To Be or Not To Be is a remake of the Ernst Lubitsch film.
- Mel Brooks director
- The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story includes a badly-performed rendition of Hamlet's graveyard speech (not by Baum, who plays a watchman, though he did play Hamlet over 200 times in real life).
- Jack Bender director
- Dead Poets Society (USA, 1989) portrays a student (played by Robert Sean Leonard) who performs the role of Puck in a school production of A Midsummer's Night Dream against his father's wishes.
- In The Bleak Midwinter (aka “A Midwinter’s Tale”) (UK, 1996) tells the story of a group of actors performing Hamlet.
- Kenneth Branagh director
- Michael Maloney as Joe (Hamlet)
- Julia Sawalha as Nina (Ophelia)
- Looking for Richard (USA, 1996) is a documentary account of Al Pacino’s quest to perform Richard III, featuring substantial excerpts from the play. It includes the talents of Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey.
- RSC Production Casebook – The Winter’s Tale a straight-to-video documentary of the RSC production listed separately above, including interviews with Antony Sher, Greg Doran, Cicely Berry (the RSC’s voice coach) and other members of the cast and crew, together with lengthy excerpts from the show itself.
- See also Shakespeare in Love above.
Television series
NOTE: "ShakespeaRe-Told", “The Animated Shakespeare” and “BBC Television Shakespeare” series have been covered above, under the respective play performed in each episode.
- Playing Shakespeare (TV, UK, 1983-1984) began as two consecutive episodes of the UK arts series The South Bank Show, and developed into a nine-part series of its own. It features director John Barton, then a leading light of the Royal Shakespeare Company, putting a host of actors through their paces. Many of those actors are now household names, including Judi Dench, Michael Pennington, Patrick Stewart, Ben Kingsley, David Suchet and Ian McKellen. The episodes were:
- The South Bank Show: Speaking Shakespearean Verse
- The South Bank Show: Preparing to Perform Shakespeare
- 1. The Two Traditions
- 2. Using the Verse
- 3. Language and Character
- 4. Set Speeches and Soliloquies
- 5. Irony and Ambiguity
- 6. Passion and Coolness
- 7. Rehearsing the Text
- 8. Exploring a Character
- 9. Poetry and Hidden Poetry
Three further episodes were filmed but never edited or screened. They were to be called “Using the Prose”, “Using the Sonnets” and “Contemporary Shakespeare”. Their text can be read in the book “Playing Shakespeare” by John Barton.
- The Shakespeare Sessions (USA 19??) was an American spin-off from Playing Shakespeare (above) in which John Barton directs notable American actors in Shakespeare scenes.
- The first series of The Black Adder (TV, UK, 1983), written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, is a parody of Shakespeare’s plays, particularly Macbeth, Richard III and Henry V.
- Conjuring Shakespeare (TV, UK, 199?) was a series of half-hour documentaries hosted by Fiona Shaw, each episode dealing with scenes from a particular play.
- In Search of Shakespeare (UK, TV, 2003) was a BBC documentary series of four 1-hour episodes, chronicling the life of William Shakespeare, written and presented by Michael Wood.
Academic
- The “Themes of Shakespeare” series contains straight-to-video short documentaries, each considering the theme of a particular play. The contributors are Professor Stanley Wells, and Dr. Robert Smallwood of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
- Two lecture series given by professor Peter Saccio were filmed and are commercially available on DVD.
Miscellaneous
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by the Reduced Shakespeare Company is a successful West End stage comedy, containing some element of all 37 canonical plays. A film of one of the live performances is commercially available.
- The Royal Shakespeare Company have released a number of videos in the "Great Performances" series, which contain excerpts from stage performances.
Notes
- ^ Young, Mark (ed.). The Guinness Book of Records 1999, Bantam Books, 358; Voigts-Virchow, Eckartm (2004), Janespotting and Beyond: British Heritage Retrovisions Since the Mid-1990s, Gunter Narr Verlag, 92.
- ^ Keyishian, Harry Shakespeare and the movie genre: the case of Hamlet in Jackson, Russell The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Cambridge University Press, 2000) p.73
- ^ McKernan, Luke The Real Thing At Last in McKernan, Luke and Terris, Olwen (eds.) Walking Shadows: Shakespeare in the National Film and Television Archive (British Film Institute, 1994, ISBN 0-85170-486-7) pp.2-3
- ^ Greene, Graham reviewing George Cukor's 1936 Romeo and Juliet in The Spectator. Extracted from Greene, Graham and Taylor, John Russell (ed.) "The Pleasure Dome. Collected Film Criticism 1935-40" (Oxford, 1980) cited by Jackson, Russell "From Play-Script to Screenplay" in Jackson, Russell (ed.) "The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (15-34) at p.21
- ^ Howard, Tony Shakespeare's Cinematic Offshoots in Jackson, Russell (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 2000 ISBN 0512639751 295-313 at 296
- ^ Howard, Tony "Shakespeare's Cinematic Offshoots" in Jackson, Russell (ed.) "The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film" (Cambridge University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-521-63975-1) p.309
Reference and Further reading
- Brode, Douglas. "Shakespeare in the Movies: From the Silent Era to Today." (Oxford University Press, 2001).
- Buhler, Stephen. "Shakespeare in the Cinema: Ocular Proof," (State University of New York Press, 2002).
- Jackson, Russell (ed.) "The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film" (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
- McKernan, Luke and Olwen Terris, Ed. "WALKING SHADOWS: Shakespeare in the National Film and Television Archive" (BFI Publishing, 1994). A detailed listing of performances, adaptations and allusions to Shakespeare in film and on television.
- ^ Rothwell, Kenneth S. "Shakespeare in silence: from stage to screen." A History of Shakespeare on Screen. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Jackson, Russell. "Shakespeare Films in the Making: Vision, Production and Reception," (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
External links
- Internet Movie Database listing for William Shakespeare (writer)
- Shakespeare classics; 7 early film adaptations
- Bardolatry.com -- reviews of Shakespeare-on-film.
- Info Please An adequate list of popular Shakespeare productions on film. The list is further broken down into three categories: Relatively Faithful Adaptations, Looser Adaptations, and Shakespeare as a Launching Pad. Site provides basic movie information as well as a brief description of movie.
- About Provides critic and scholarly reviews of most popular Shakespeare films. Also provides basic details and behind the scenes guides of Shakespeare film adaptations.