There's a video on youtube where Stash Kirkbride, who voiced Rishda in the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre adaption of The Last Battle, portrays Angelo in Measure for Measure. I guess you could almost say that he was born to play villains.

@jasmine_tarkheena 

This video is much like the BBC’s Shakespeare series from the 1980’s.  It focuses more on the acting than on visual spectacle, which may be what Shakespeare intended when he wrote the play. Thanks for sharing the video.

Posted by: @narnian78

@jasmine_tarkheena 

This video is much like the BBC’s Shakespeare series from the 1980’s.  It focuses more on the acting than on visual spectacle, which may be what Shakespeare intended when he wrote the play. Thanks for sharing the video.

I haven't noticed that. Hollywood would be heavily focused on visual spectacle for sure. So this was kind of nice to see something that is not Hollywood.

I just did a blog post about a movie adaptation of a Shakespeare play from the 1960s. (The movie was from the 1960s, that is, not the Shakespeare play. ) The Taming of the Shrew. The Taming of the Shakespeare | The Adaptation Station.com By a happy coincidence, it actually talks a little about the issue of Shakespeare movie adaptations making the material as much about visuals as about words. Be warned: if you think they should mainly be about dialogue, you may not like the conclusions I draw. But if you're interested in Shakespeare adaptations, it should appeal to you. Hope it's enjoyable to read.

I have always liked the old BBC Shakespeare series which aired during the 1970's and 1980's. I don't know how many people here have seen it since it aired decades ago.  The series was made without a lot of money, but the BBC was able to produce all of the plays in only a few years. It was something that has never been done in big screen movies.   That was a remarkable achievement, given the limited resources that were available.

@narnian78 I've seen some of these. I think they were sort of baseline productions, done well, for people to have the chance to see all the plays. Many never do, even those who go to live theatre themselves. These didn't have very many famous names, as I recall, mostly good competent stage actors (includthe skill to learn and deliver Shakespeare's lines.

I wonder if these were ever transferred to DVD for bulk purchase, or are available now to stream.

@coracle 

I think some of the plays are available for streaming on Amazon. The DVD sets are very expensive and they each include several of the comedies, histories, and tragedies. The title of the series was The Shakespeare Plays and there are more reviews of the individual plays on IMDb.com .  I liked the series very much when it was broadcast decades ago on PBS.  In fact, I don’t think I missed any of the 37 plays. 🙂

@narnian78 Thanks. I may have to start getting Amazon.  

While Cymbeline isn't my favorite Shakespeare play, I like it better than a lot of other people do and there's something about it Narnia fans may find amusing. One of the characters is a physician named Cornelius, In other words, Dr. Cornelius.  

Recently, I reviewed another movie version of one of Shakespeare's comedies on my blog. It was the 2006 As You Like It. In the opening paragraphs, I describe the play itself. 

The ironic and impressive thing about (As You Like It) is that basically all of its most memorable quotes about romance and marriage take a cynical view yet it makes the audience cheer without a second thought as the leads get married in the end. In a way, it’s the most daring and triumphant demonstration of the power of love in all of Shakespeare.

Of course, in many ways As You Like It is not a great play. On paper, it’s rather a sloppy one. It begins with a very dramatic situation. A noble duke has been overthrown by his younger brother and banished along with his loyal followers. His daughter, Rosalind, has been allowed to remain at court but as her uncle descends into paranoia, he banishes her too and her cousin, Celia, flees with her in solidarity, along with the court Jester, Touchstone. Rosalind’s crush, Orlando de Boys also must leave his home due to the jealousy of his older brother. But once all the characters establish themselves in the idyllic forest of Arden, the play pretty much becomes nothing but schtick and the occasional soliloquy. The only complications with the romance between the disguised Rosalind and Orlando are how long it will take for her get tired of trolling him and reveal herself and how they’re going to find a priest to marry them.

Spoiler

As You Like It Spoilers

One of the villains is improbably redeemed offstage. Another character is randomly mentioned in the play’s first moments and then forgotten only to show up at the last second and announce that the other villain has been redeemed too, resolving the story. It’s like Shakespeare was making the thing up as he went along.

But there are reasons this is considered a great play, mainly its fun cast of characters and its many great quotes. It tends to fall flat in retellings, but in performance, with charismatic actors and beautiful scenery, music and costumes, it’s a delight.

That's what I had to say about Shakespeare's As You Like It. You can read the whole post for my thoughts on the film version. As You Like It (2006) Merits Some More Love | The Adaptation Station.com But, suffice to say, I enjoy it. 

I recently ordered the DVD of Orson Welles’ Othello. This is an older movie from 1951, which was made three years after his production of Macbeth. I have really enjoyed Orson Welles’ acting, and I am looking forward to seeing his Othello for the first time. Laurence Olivier was great in his 1965 version, which I already own. There were also his wonderful films Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III, which have some of his greatest acting. I would encourage people to see the older films of Shakespeare’s plays since many of them have the best acting and finest productions. 🙂

I think it is well worth viewing the old films based on Shakespeare plays especially if you never watched them before. Othello with Orson Welles is very good production which I recently watched for the first time. It was very artistically made back in 1952 with beautiful black and white photography. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to Shakespeare and vintage movies. Orson Welles was a man of many talents, including his achievements as an accomplished actor and radio broadcaster. 🙂

Today I treated myself to see a filmed performance by the National Theatre on London, of Much Ado About Nothing. 

It was performed last year, set in the 1930s, and absolutely delighted. 

Have you seen any other Shakespeare plays streamed or filmed like this? A few years ago I saw Sir Ian McKellen in King Lear, a live performance filmed in Chichester, South England. 

Posted by: @courtenay

Posted by: @cobalt-jade

I saw A Midsummer Night's Dream as a ballet, does that count?

 

Some years ago (back in Australia) I saw A Midsummer Night's Dream done in Bollywood style, which definitely counted — it was hilarious!!   It was all Shakespeare's exact words, unaltered, but with wonderful colourful costumes and settings and with a genuine Bollywood dance (by a professional choreographer) in just about every scene. Which all worked really well, given that it's quite a witty and wacky play to begin with and this somehow all made perfect sense...  

I'm now imagining Puck whenever he goes and causes chaos to do a elaborate Bollywood-style dance to go with it!  

I have been recently rewatching some of the old Shakespeare BBC series on Britbox and I have found it quite enjoyable. I remember watching the series when it was first broadcast on PBS many years ago and I think that I viewed all of the plays at least once. The series was broadcast during the 1970’s and 1980’s under the title The Shakespeare Plays.  It was very interesting to see it again and I think it was quite a well made series. As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo and Juliet are a good way to start watching the series. It was not made on a large budget, but it still is interesting to watch, and it was very accurate to the original plays.