- Drama & Plays (540)
- Historical Fiction (11,181)
Best Sellers
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Monstrous Regiment
- Written by: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Stephen Briggs
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
War has come to Discworld...again....
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The Tempest
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Sir Ian McKellen, fresh from his performance as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, is Prospero, and heads a strong cast in Shakespeare’s last great play....
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A wonderful story told beautifully with minor issues
- By Jaso on 2018-01-10
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Shakespeare: The Complete Works
- Argo Classics
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Diana Rigg, and others
- Length: 98 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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For the first time, the complete works of Shakespeare are available to download as one. This collection includes all 37 plays, four narrative poems and the sonnets....
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Some serious Errors in Release
- By Michael Legedza on 2021-08-06
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Hamlet: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Hamlet to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition....
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Helped with school
- By Isabella Ross on 2020-01-03
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Don Juan [French Version]
- Written by: Molière
- Narrated by: Jean Vilar, Daniel Sorano, Monique Chaumette, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
C'était en 1956 sur les ondes de France III Nationale, dans "Le théâtre et l'université", une émission placée sous le haut patronage de l'Éducation nationale...
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Les Belles-Soeurs: l'oeuvre qui a tout changé
- Written by: Mario Girard
- Narrated by: Mario Girard
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
La pièce Les belles-sœurs de Michel Tremblay est née le 4 mars 1968 lors d'une lecture publique dans un minuscule théâtre de la métropole....
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Enfin
- By Nycole. Grondin on 2022-06-25
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Monstrous Regiment
- Written by: Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Stephen Briggs
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
War has come to Discworld...again....
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The Tempest
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Sir Ian McKellen, fresh from his performance as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, is Prospero, and heads a strong cast in Shakespeare’s last great play....
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A wonderful story told beautifully with minor issues
- By Jaso on 2018-01-10
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Shakespeare: The Complete Works
- Argo Classics
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Diana Rigg, and others
- Length: 98 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
For the first time, the complete works of Shakespeare are available to download as one. This collection includes all 37 plays, four narrative poems and the sonnets....
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Some serious Errors in Release
- By Michael Legedza on 2021-08-06
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Hamlet: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Hamlet to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition....
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Helped with school
- By Isabella Ross on 2020-01-03
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Don Juan [French Version]
- Written by: Molière
- Narrated by: Jean Vilar, Daniel Sorano, Monique Chaumette, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
C'était en 1956 sur les ondes de France III Nationale, dans "Le théâtre et l'université", une émission placée sous le haut patronage de l'Éducation nationale...
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Les Belles-Soeurs: l'oeuvre qui a tout changé
- Written by: Mario Girard
- Narrated by: Mario Girard
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
La pièce Les belles-sœurs de Michel Tremblay est née le 4 mars 1968 lors d'une lecture publique dans un minuscule théâtre de la métropole....
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Enfin
- By Nycole. Grondin on 2022-06-25
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Dom Juan [French Version]
- Written by: Molière
- Narrated by: Jean Vilar, Daniel Sorano, Georges Wilson, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 43 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
La pièce donne à suivre les deux dernières journées de la vie de Dom Juan Tenorio, libertin grand amateur de femmes...
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The Jane Austen BBC Radio Drama Collection
- Six BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations
- Written by: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Julia McKenzie, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliet Stevenson, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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A collection of BBC radio full-cast dramatisations of Jane Austen's six major novels....
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Abridged
- By Laura on 2018-09-11
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The Crucible
- Written by: Arthur Miller
- Narrated by: Stacy Keach, Richard Dreyfuss, Ed Begley Jr., and others
- Length: 1 hr and 58 mins
- Original Recording
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In the rigid theocracy of Salem, Massachusetts, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town....
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Compelling story but convoluted narration
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-10-27
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Le bourgeois gentilhomme
- Written by: Molière
- Narrated by: Louis Seigner, Roger Carel, Jacques Degor, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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Monsieur Jourdain est un commerçant qui a fait fortune dans les perruques. Il décide de vivre "en homme de qualité"' et ouvre sa maison aux arts et aux lettres...
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Romeo & Juliet
- Romeo & Juliet (Dramatized)
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Douglas Henshall, Sophie Dahl, Susannah York, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
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In this BBC full-cast production of Romeo and Juliet, the two star-crossed lovers fight for each other until their dying breath. Can their two feuding families reconcile? Find out....
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Bel Canto
- Written by: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Ann Patchett’s award winning, New York Times best-selling Bel Canto balances themes of love and crisis as disparate characters learn that music is their only common language. The author’s lyrical prose and lucid imagination make Bel Canto a captivating story of strength and frailty, love and imprisonment, and an inspiring tale of transcendent romance....
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My favourite novel
- By Beeswax on 2020-11-11
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Le Bourgeois gentilhomme
- Written by: Molière
- Narrated by: Maurice Escande, Jean Piat, Michel Galabru, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
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La scène est à Paris. L'ouverture se fait par un grand assemblage d'instruments ; et dans le milieu du théâtre, un élève du Maître de musique...
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Snow White
- Written by: Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 59 mins
- Original Recording
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In this classic tale of good and evil, Snow White is pursued by a revengeful Queen who is jealous of her natural beauty and goodness. When the Queen learns of Snow White's hiding place....
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A Christmas Carol (Simon & Schuster Edition)
- Written by: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Patrick Stewart
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Abridged
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Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and Ebenezer Scrooge come to marvelous life in Patrick Stewart's critically-acclaimed solo interpretation of A Christmas Carol....
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Does not follow the book very well
- By Leana Howard on 2020-11-16
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Certain Woman of an Age
- Written by: Margaret Trudeau
- Narrated by: Margaret Trudeau
- Length: 1 hr and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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Margaret Trudeau, former wife of Pierre Trudeau, 15th Prime Minister of Canada, mother of Justin Trudeau, Canada's current Prime Minister, and international mental health advocate, brought her intimate staged performance, Certain Woman of an Age, to the Minetta Lane Theatre....
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Heartwarming & Charming
- By Miss Desiree on 2020-04-18
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Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
- Written by: Tom Stoppard
- Narrated by: JD Cullum, Seamus Dever, Anna Lyse Erikson, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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While attempting to discover the roots of Hamlet’s unhappiness, two courtiers go on a journey to plumb the depths of the universe’s mysteries. Tom Stoppard’s wildly inventive first play takes us through a tilted version of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy....
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Le Cid
- Written by: Pierre Corneille
- Narrated by: Gérard Philipe, Jean Vilar, Philippe Noiret, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Original Recording
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Créée en janvier 1637 à Paris au Théâtre du Marais, la pièce connaît un succès immense...
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BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Eight Comedies
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Anne-Marie Duff, David Tennant, Full Cast, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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A collection of BBC Radio 3's iconic Shakespeare productions: eight comedies with all-star casts including David Tennant, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne-Marie Duff, Martin Jarvis, Siân Phillips and Miriam Margolyes....
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Tom Stoppard: A BBC Radio Collection
- 14 full-cast productions including Arcadia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead & others
- Written by: Tom Stoppard
- Narrated by: Rufus Sewell, Bill Nighy, Harriet Walters, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
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This is the collected BBC radio productions of the internationally renowned playwright Tom Stoppard....
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Great but Missing Some Classics
- By Rose on 2022-09-29
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Henry V
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Jamie Glover, Brian Cox, Elizabeth Spriggs
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
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Henry V is a study of kingship, patriotism, and heroic determination tempered by tender comedy as Henry courts Katherine, princess of France....
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Hamlet
- A BBC Radio Production
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Michael Sheen, Kenneth Cranham, Juliet Stevenson, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare....
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Hamilton
- The Revolution
- Written by: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter
- Narrated by: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter, Mariska Hargitay
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject: the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British and defended the Constitution....
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Love it!
- By Kindle Customer on 2021-01-13
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A Midsummer Night's Dream: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world's largest Shakespeare collection, brings A Midsummer Night's Dream to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition....
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well done!
- By SJill on 2020-06-01
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A Doll House
- Written by: Henrik Ibsen
- Narrated by: Calista Flockhart, Tony Abatemarco, Tim Dekay, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
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Nora Helmer has everything a young housewife could want: Beautiful children, an adoring husband, and a bright future. But when a carelessly buried secret rises from the past, Nora’s well-calibrated domestic ideal starts to crumble....
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Henrik Ibsen
- Nine Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations
- Written by: Henrik Ibsen
- Narrated by: David Threlfall, Full Cast, Harriet Walters, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
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Often described as ‘the father of realism’, Henrik Ibsen was a pioneer of modernist drama....
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King Lear
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Paul Scofield, Alec McCowen, Kenneth Branagh
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The tragedy of King Lear receives an outstanding performance in an all-star cast led by Britain’s senior classical actor, Paul Scofield....
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King Lear: CliffsNotes
- Written by: Sheri Metzger Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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This CliffsNotes study guide on William Shakespeare's King Lear supplements the original literary work....
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Death of a Salesman
- Written by: Arthur Miller
- Narrated by: Stacy Keach, Jane Kaczmarek, Steven Culp, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
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Stacy Keach and Jane Kaczmarek star in this 1949 masterpiece by Arthur Miller, a searing portrait of the physical, emotional, and psychological costs of the American dream....
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A must listen, simply captivating
- By Austin Visser on 2022-11-29
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Macbeth: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world's largest Shakespeare collection, Macbeth to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition....
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If you love The Scottish Play...
- By Steve on 2022-10-19
New Releases
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Icarus and Aria
- Written by: Kirk Wood Bromley
- Narrated by: Kirk Wood Bromley
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In early 2019, when playwright Kirk Wood Bromley was diagnosed with cancer, his fans and collaborators came together to fund and record three of his plays, one of which was Icarus and Aria, an "upgraded Romeo and Juliet" that was originally performed under the dramatory of Aaron Beall at the first New York International Fringe Festival in 1997. This full cast performance was directed by Joshua Spafford.
Written by: Kirk Wood Bromley
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Uncle Vanya
- Written by: Anton Chekhov
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 2 hrs
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Uncle Vanya is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897. The play portrays the visit of an elderly professor and his glamorous, much younger second wife, Yelena, to the rural estate that supports their urban lifestyle. Two friends—Vanya, brother of the professor's late first wife, who has long managed the estate, and Astrov, the local doctor—both fall under Yelena's spell while bemoaning the ennui of their provincial existence. Sonya, the professor's daughter by his first wife, who has worked with Vanya to keep the estate going, suffers from her unrequited feelings for Astrov.
Written by: Anton Chekhov
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Still Roaring
- From Vaudeville to Vintage
- Written by: Jon Koons
- Narrated by: Lane Bradbury, Bella Ferriera, James Rana, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
STILL ROARING is a full cast audio presentation, fully dramatized with music and sound effects. Full of nostalgia and humor, it follows the story of Rosylyn DeMarco, a dancer and actress in Vaudeville. When the play begins the time is now. Rosylyn is old— very old. She reminisces with Buddy Jr., the Cable Guy, about the Roaring Twenties and her Vaudeville days. The time switches to then, and a fresh-faced young Rosylyn steps off the bus and into a new life in New York City.
Written by: Jon Koons
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The Music of Erich Zann
- Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
- Narrated by: Kenneth Elliot
- Length: 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Music of Erich Zann is a horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. Written in December 1921, it was first published in National Amateur, March 1922. Due to lack of funds, a university student is forced to take up lodging in an almost empty apartment building on a street named "Rue d'Auseil". One of the few other tenants is an old German man named Erich Zann. The old man is mute and plays the viol[a] with a local theater orchestra. He lives alone on the top floor and at night he plays strange melodies the student has never heard before.
Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1602. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599. It is one of several plays written by Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history, such as Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. Set in Rome in 44 BC, the play depicts the moral dilemma of Brutus as he joins a conspiracy led by Cassius to murder Julius Caesar to prevent him from becoming dictator of Rome. Following Caesar's death, Rome is thrust into a period of civil war, and the republic the conspirators sought to preserve is lost forever.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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Icarus and Aria
- Written by: Kirk Wood Bromley
- Narrated by: Kirk Wood Bromley
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In early 2019, when playwright Kirk Wood Bromley was diagnosed with cancer, his fans and collaborators came together to fund and record three of his plays, one of which was Icarus and Aria, an "upgraded Romeo and Juliet" that was originally performed under the dramatory of Aaron Beall at the first New York International Fringe Festival in 1997. This full cast performance was directed by Joshua Spafford.
Written by: Kirk Wood Bromley
-
Uncle Vanya
- Written by: Anton Chekhov
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 2 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Uncle Vanya is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897. The play portrays the visit of an elderly professor and his glamorous, much younger second wife, Yelena, to the rural estate that supports their urban lifestyle. Two friends—Vanya, brother of the professor's late first wife, who has long managed the estate, and Astrov, the local doctor—both fall under Yelena's spell while bemoaning the ennui of their provincial existence. Sonya, the professor's daughter by his first wife, who has worked with Vanya to keep the estate going, suffers from her unrequited feelings for Astrov.
Written by: Anton Chekhov
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Still Roaring
- From Vaudeville to Vintage
- Written by: Jon Koons
- Narrated by: Lane Bradbury, Bella Ferriera, James Rana, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
STILL ROARING is a full cast audio presentation, fully dramatized with music and sound effects. Full of nostalgia and humor, it follows the story of Rosylyn DeMarco, a dancer and actress in Vaudeville. When the play begins the time is now. Rosylyn is old— very old. She reminisces with Buddy Jr., the Cable Guy, about the Roaring Twenties and her Vaudeville days. The time switches to then, and a fresh-faced young Rosylyn steps off the bus and into a new life in New York City.
Written by: Jon Koons
-
The Music of Erich Zann
- Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
- Narrated by: Kenneth Elliot
- Length: 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
The Music of Erich Zann is a horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. Written in December 1921, it was first published in National Amateur, March 1922. Due to lack of funds, a university student is forced to take up lodging in an almost empty apartment building on a street named "Rue d'Auseil". One of the few other tenants is an old German man named Erich Zann. The old man is mute and plays the viol[a] with a local theater orchestra. He lives alone on the top floor and at night he plays strange melodies the student has never heard before.
Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1602. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599. It is one of several plays written by Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history, such as Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. Set in Rome in 44 BC, the play depicts the moral dilemma of Brutus as he joins a conspiracy led by Cassius to murder Julius Caesar to prevent him from becoming dictator of Rome. Following Caesar's death, Rome is thrust into a period of civil war, and the republic the conspirators sought to preserve is lost forever.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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Reasons for Waking
- A Novel
- Written by: Karen Foster
- Narrated by: W. Keith Tims
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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When reclusive Philip teams with a determined young woman to unravel the tragedy that shattered both their lives, he's forced to confront his estranged family. The lies-and devastating truths-he discovers expose his family's secrets and compel him to face his flawed assumptions. Reasons for Waking is a tale of how secrets and silence can hide the truth that can heal us.
Written by: Karen Foster
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The Comedy of Errors
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Kendra Murray, Gary MacFadden, Claudia Anglade, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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A merchant of Syracuse has twin sons and buys twin servants for them. His wife, with one twin and one servant, is soon separated from him by a shipwreck, and comes to live in Ephesus. When grown, the other son and his slave start out to find their brothers, and the father, some years later, starts out in turn to find them. Once in Ephesus, an amusing series of errors begins.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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Shakespeare's Sonnets
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: NM Few
- Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Shakespeare's sonnets have long been considered some of the greatest poetry ever written. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t heard the phrase, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?" Marvel at the use of syllables, or simply sit back and enjoy all Shakespeare’s sonnets in one handy volume.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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Antony and Cleopatra
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Antony and Cleopatra (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around 1607; its first appearance in print was in the Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's 1579 English translation of Plutarch's Lives (in Ancient Greek) and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Sicilian revolt to Cleopatra's suicide during the Final War of the Roman Republic.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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Much Ado About Nothing
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Dara Brown, Emma Faye, Linda Barrans, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Much Ado About Nothing appears to have been written about 1599, shortly before As You Like It and Twelfth Night. The action combines two narrative threads: the spirited comedy of the courtship of Benedick and Beatrice, and the somber tale of confused love between Hero and Claudio. The first is a creation by Shakespeare and the second appears to have been drawn from an Italian source, either by Bandello or Ariosto. The action takes place in Messina. Eponymous lovers Hero and Claudio seem to be ideally matched and nearly everyone is looking forward to their impending marriage.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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Agamemnon
- Written by: Aeschylus
- Narrated by: Mark Brown
- Length: 2 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Agamemnon is the first of the three linked tragedies which make up The Oresteia trilogy by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus. Trilogy as a whole, originally performed at the annual Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BCE, where it won first prize, is considered to be Aeschylus' last authenticated, and also his greatest, work. Agamemnon describes the homecoming of Agamemnon, king of Argos, from the Trojan War, and his return to his wife, Clytemnestra, who had been planning his murder (in concert with her lover, Aegisthus) as revenge for Agamemnon's earlier sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia.
Written by: Aeschylus
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The Theogony
- Written by: Hesiod
- Narrated by: Peter Coates
- Length: 1 hr and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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The Theogony "the genealogy or birth of the gods" is a poem by Hesiod (8th – 7th century BC) describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods, composed c. 730–700 BC. It is written in the Epic dialect of Ancient Greek and contains 1022 lines. Hesiod's Theogony is a large-scale synthesis of a vast variety of local Greek traditions concerning the gods, organized as a narrative that tells how they came to be and how they established permanent control over the cosmos. It is the first known Greek mythical cosmogony.
Written by: Hesiod
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Eumenides
- Written by: Aeschylus
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 1 hr and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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The final play of the Oresteia, called The Eumenides (Εὐμενίδες, Eumenídes), illustrates how the sequence of events in the trilogy ends up in the development of social order or a proper judicial system in Athenian society. In this play, Orestes is hunted down and tormented by the Furies, a trio of goddesses known to be the instruments of justice, who are also referred to as the "Gracious Ones" (Eumenides). They relentlessly pursue Orestes for the killing of his mother.
Written by: Aeschylus
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The Choephori
- Written by: Aeschylus
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 1 hr and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Produced in 458 BC, Aeschylus' Choephori is the second play in the Oresteian trilogy. The bloodshed begun in the first play with the murder of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra is here continued when Agamemnon's son Orestes avenges his father's death by killing Clytemnestra. It is not until the third and final play, Eumenides, that peace is restored to the family of the Atreidae. The introduction discusses the pre-Aeschylean 'Orestes' tradition in literature and art, as well as the place of Choephori within the Oresteia.
Written by: Aeschylus
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The Odes of Anacreon
- Written by: Anacreon, Thomas Moore - translator
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Anacreon (582 BCE–485 BCE) was a Greek lyric poet born in Teos, an Ionian city on the coast of Asia Minor. He likely moved to Thrace in 545 BCE with others from his city when it was attacked by Persians. He then moved to Samos, to Athens, and possibly again to Thessaly, seeking a safe place to write his poems as his patrons (including Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, and Hipparchus, brother of Athenian tyrant Hippias) kept being murdered. It is unknown where Anacreon died, though he lived to the unusually advanced age of 85.
Written by: Anacreon, and others
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The Tragedy of King Lear
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Mark Bowen
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It tells the tale of a king who bequeaths his power and land to two of his three daughters, after they declare their love for him in an extremely fawning and obsequious manner. His third daughter gets nothing, because she will not flatter him as her sisters had done. When he feels disrespected by the two daughters who now have his wealth and power, he becomes furious to the point of madness. He eventually becomes tenderly reconciled to his third daughter, just before tragedy strikes her and then the king.
Written by: William Shakespeare
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Romeo and Juliet
- Written by: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: David Miles
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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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 and along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Romeo and Juliet had a profound influence on subsequent literature. Before then, romance had not even been viewed as a worthy topic for tragedy.
Written by: William Shakespeare