Classic Plays

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime. Shakespeare's use of his poetic dramatic structure, especially effects such as switching between comedy and tragedy to heighten tension, his expansion of minor characters, and his use of subplots to embellish the story, has been praised as an early sign of his dramatic skill.

The Rape of Lucrece follows a popular story from one of Shakespeare's favourite ancient writers, Ovid. Lucrece is the angelic wife of Collatine, an illustrious Roman general. She is coveted and eventually attacked by Prince Tarquin, Collatine's best friend.

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites William Shakespeare's Sonnet 50.

Shakespeare's most popular comedy, set in an enchanted forest with fairies, sparring lovers and a group of amateur actors who are putting on a play. Four Athenians run away to the forest only to have Puck the fairy make both of the boys fall in love with the same girl. The four run through the forest pursuing each other while Puck helps his master play a trick on the fairy queen. In the end, Puck reverses the magic, and the two couples reconcile and marry.

Tales from Shakespeare was written by Charles Lamb (1775-1834) and his sister Mary Lamb (1764-1847) in 1807 as a prose adaptation for children. Mary wrote most of the comedies, about 14 of the 20. One Voice Recordings presents for your entertainment stage and voice actor David Ian Davies portraying all the characters in this charming retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream

The premier Russian dramatist before Chekov, Alexander Ostrovsky was one of the first masters of realistic theatre. A typical example of his approach to drama, A Protégée of the Mistress is almost cinematic in its presentation. The action is represented by a series of vivid snapshots, in which Ostrovsky quickly and subtly illustrates the foibles and weaknesses of each character, and shows how they are forced into a hostile dependence on each other.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a delightful tale of true love having to struggle against duty and pride. It has three separate interlocking stories set in Athens, a woodland, and the realm of the fairies - all under a moonlit sky. This is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, and this reading unfolds the plot quickly while retaining its charm.

King Lear is one of Shakespeare's greatest and darkest works. Lear banishes his favorite daughter when she seemingly speaks out against him. However, he does not know that his two other daughters, who pay tribute to him, are in fact plotting against him. Shakespeare's observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship are never better defined than in this play.

Das wunderbare Herrenhaus, umgeben von einem malerischen Kirschgarten, ist hoch verschuldet. Anja, die Tochter der Gutsbesitzerin, ruft ihre Mutter aus Paris zurück, wohin diese nach dem Tod ihres kleinen Sohnes geflohen war. Wie kann das Gut gerettet werden? Muss der Kirschgarten verkauft werden? Tschechows letztes Stück ist noch heute fester Bestandteil der Spielpläne der Theater.

The story revolves around two characters, Othello and Iago. Othello is a Moorish military commander who was serving as a general of the Venetian army in defense of Cyprus against invasion by Ottoman Turks. He has recently married Desdemona, a beautiful and wealthy Venetian lady much younger than himself, against the wishes of her father. Iago is Othello's malevolent ensign, who maliciously stokes his master's jealousy until the usually stoic Mute kills his beloved wife in a fit of blind rage.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue. The play is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays.

Wie es euch gefällt: Ein Dauerbrenner auf deutschen Bühnen! Was übrigens nicht verwundert, denn diese Komödie über vier Paare, die sich nach vielem Hin und Her im Ardenner Wald schließlich doch finden, hat neben der üblichen Shakespearschen wortspielerischen Komplexität auch die Leichtigkeit einer frühen Boulevardkomödie.

Claudio verliebt sich in Hero. Das aber will Don Juan hintertreiben! Beatrice liebt Benedikt - und er sie! Aber zugeben will es keiner von den beiden. Und dann ist da natürlich noch Konstabler Holzapfel, der mit seinem schlichten Gemüt alles nach Kräften durcheinanderbringt. Kurz: Eine klassische Shakespeare-Komödie eben.

Theseus wird Hippolyta heiraten, zwei Paare verlieben sich, verkrachen sich, verlieben sich erneut, der Elfenkönig Oberon hat Streit mit seiner Frau, eine Schar untalentierter Handwerker soll ein dramatisches Theaterstück aufführen. Shakespeares Komödien-Dauerbrenner hat alle Zutaten für eine Hollywood-Screwball-Comedy.

Prospero, eigentlich Herzog von Mailand, hat durch eine Intrige seine Macht verloren und fristet mit seiner Tochter Miranda auf einer unwirtlichen Insel sein Leben, das er der Magie gewidmet hat. Als ein Schiff mit den Übeltätern Alonso, Antonio und Sebastian des Weges kommt, sieht Prospero die Stunde der Rache gekommen. Er befiehlt Ariel, seinem dienstbaren Geist, einen Sturm heraufzubeschwören, um das Schiff und seine Passagiere tüchtig durchzuschütteln. Die vermeintlich Schiffbrüchigen retten sich auf Prosperos Insel - und das Spiel seiner Vergeltung beginnt.

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

A fickle public is fully supportive of Caesar's would-be assassins - until they actually do assassinate him. Discover wher political back-stabbing really got its start in this timeless tale of murder and revenge.

Gifted playwright George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan is based on the life and trials of Joan of Arc whose canonisation occurred shortly before he wrote this play. Based on both substantial information of her life in Medieval France and records of her trial, Shaw characterizes this unique woman caught between the forces of the Church and law in this classic production with a strong cast supporting Siobhan McKenna's fine interpretation of this tragic heroine.

Forced into exile in the Forest of Arden, lovers Rosalind and Orlando become entangled in a beguiling game of love, lust and mistaken identity. Rosalind and her cousin escape into the forest and find Orlando, Rosalind's love. Disguised as a boy shepherd, Rosalind has Orlando woo her under the guise of 'curing' him of his love for Rosalind. Rosalind reveals she is a girl and marries Orlando during a group wedding at the end of the play.

Fünf der beliebtesten Komödien William Shakespeares in einem Hörbuch - ungekürzt gelesen! Mit dabei: "Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung" (1594), "Ein Sommernachtstraum" (1596), "Wie es euch gefällt" (1599), "Viel Lärm um nichts" (1600), "Der Sturm" (1611).