Ancient Plays

This BBC Radio production stars much-loved actor and comedian Lenny Henry, who won the Evening Standard’s Best Newcomer Award for his stunning performance as the tortured Moor. First performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, it subsequently toured the country before arriving in London’s West End where Henry received rave reviews.

Prince Kreon, enforcing an arbitrary mandate, is enraged that Antigone would abide by a natural law of sisterly respect in contradiction of his will. As neither can be reconciled with the other's acts, the drama grows devoutly tenebrous. This translation is iambic, as is most of the text in Greek.

This remarkable collection contains some of William Shakespeare's most famous speeches, soliloquies, and sonnets, as performed by Sir John Gielgud, the preeminent Shakespearean actor of the 20th century. Ages of Man is a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for the uninitiated and a thrilling treat for aficionados.

William Shakespeare is widely considered the greatest writer in the history of the English language, so renowned and respected that the time period in which he lived is often known as the Age of Shakespeare. Indeed, his genius is questioned only by those who doubt the authenticity of his authorship of timeless classics like Romeo and Juliet. As Ben Jonson once put it, "He was not of an age, but for all time."

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.

Mai parole più belle uscirono dalla penna di un poeta per raccontarci il contrastato e infinito amore di due giovani, Romeo e Giulietta, rampolli di due famiglie nemiche tra loro nella turbolenta Verona del Trecento. È solo l’amore a muovere le avventurose fila della storia, è l’amore l’unica legge che Giulietta e Romeo vogliono assecondare, la sola origine dei loro pensieri, l’unico sogno per cui valga la pena di vivere.

Bertram's indifference to Helena forces her to use subterfuge in order to comply with the seemingly impossible demands that he places on their engagement. Keep an ear out for the clown - he has the honor of delivering some of the play's best lines!

An all-star cast including John Gielgud, Edith Evans, Anthony Quayle, and Peggy Ashcroft come together to read all 154 Sonnets.

The St. Charles Players present a new and unique telling of this children's classic performed in exciting Radio Theatre style.

Leonato, governor of Messina sun that in Sicily, welcomes in his house Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, who had arrived in the city accompanied by a retinue after the victorious conclusion of the war. Prince thanks for the hospitality and is Leonato two friends, two brave officers, young and noble Florentine Claudio and Signior Benedick of Padua.

The action of this, the most famous play of the great English poet and playwright William Shakespeare, takes place in Elsinore, shortly after the death of the King of Denmark. Heartbroken, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, suffers greatly over the death of his beloved father and the sudden remarriage of his mother, Queen Gertrude. A terrible ghost of his father, in full military dress, tells him a terrible secret: that the king did not die a natural death, but was killed by the hand of his brother Claudius, who became the current king.

When the curtains rise on Angelina Weld Grimké’s devastating drama, the Lovings—a Black family from the South—have settled into a small but immaculate apartment in an unnamed northern city. The widowed matriarch, Mary; her daughter, Rachel; and her son, Tom anticipate a more promising future here, but Rachel, a sensitive young woman, has a sudden reckoning with the past that throws her future into serious doubt.

An adaptation of William Shakespeare's 1603-1604 play Measure for Measure adapted and in plain English to a 20-minute production by Charlie Creed. The original was first published in the First Folio in 1623. It was originally classified as a comedy, though is now considered more of a problem play. The play is set in Vienna and focuses on the themes of relationships, integrity, and legal complications. This is a full cast, abridged production of the play in plain English.

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites Shakespeare's "Sonnet 17".

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites "Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare.

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 12".

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites William Shakespeare's Sonnet 2.

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

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites William Shakespeare's Sonnet 43.

Travel back in time to 16th century Denmark, as renowned vocal actor David Ian Davies introduces you to Shakespeare's timeless play, Hamlet. Filled with all of the excitement and zest you would expect from the Bard, this production is an audio treasure from beginning to end.