Julius Caesar is Shakespeare’s tense drama of high politics, one which reveals the emotional currents that flow between men in power, with themes that still resonate even today. Staged in Elizabethan dress with Roman accessories and with music played on period instruments, Dominic Dromgoole’s Globe production is ‘fleet, urgent, exciting and dangerous’ (Financial Times), combining ‘freshness of acting’ (Daily Telegraph) with an expert use of the theatre crowd and space that stylishly underscores Shakespeare’s thrilling dissection of politics in action.

REVIEWS:

"Fleet, urgent, exciting and dangerous. " (The Financial Times ★★★★)

"There is a rapport between the performers and the audience that feels genuinely magical." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)

"Dominic Dromgoole’s robustly energetic production..." (The Guardian)

"Dromgoole's taut, thriller-ish production" (Time Out ★★★★)

"Does well to capture that atmosphere of fear and distrust..." (WhatsOnStage ★★★★)

"[A] swift and impassioned revival...a perfect match of play to the venue." (The Stage ★★★★)

"...captivating...suits the Globe to a tee" (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)

"...quietly devastating..." (The Independent)

"...has both clarity and a gory immediacy..." (Evening Standard)

Rebellion and maturity run through Shakespeare's histories like a single twisted thread, exemplified by the tearaway turned - hero Hal and his forever adolescent associate Falstaff, who deserves and gets a comedy to himself in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Lives real and imagined, nobles and beggars, Tudor history and culture all spring to vivid life on the stage of the Globe Theatre in award-winning productions featuring many fine British actors and original music played by a Shakespearean pit band playing period instruments.

Reviews

"Henry IV is the Shakespeare play that's perfectly suited to the Globe. In Dominic Dromgoole's intelligent, faithful andentertaining new production, Sir John Falstaff, that 'sweet creature of bombast', might have stopped for a pint of sack in Southwark en route for a rendezvous with Doll Tearsheet at the Boar's Head." (The Guardian on Henry IV 1-2)

"A joyous spectacle." (The Sunday Telegraph on Henry VIII)

"Oustanding." (The Guardian on Henry VIII)

"Audiences tend to adore this play, in which Shakespeare genially celebrates his own middle-class English provincial background and seeks to do nothing more than entertain - which he does, splendidly. The Merry Wives, with its ridiculous foreigners, jealous husbands and scenes of low farce, keeps you chuckling almost throughout." (The Daily Telegraph on The Merry Wives of Windsor)

Doctor Faustus is Christopher Marlowe’s most renowned and controversial work. Famous for being the first dramatized version of the Faustus tale, the play depicts the sinister aftermath of Faustus’s decision to sell his soul to the Devil’s henchman in exchange for power and knowledge. In the first-ever staging of this menacing drama at the Globe Theatre, Matthew Dunster’s production features Paul Hilton as the arrogant, power-hungry Faustus and Arthur Darvill as the sardonic Mephistopheles, and includes several impressive magical stunts along the way.

Review

"A triumph of spine-tingling spectacle. Director Matthew Dunster conjures in a way that would delight the Prince of Darkness himself." (The Spectator)

This collection brings together Globe Theatre productions dating from 2010 to 2015 – during the artistic directorship of Dominic Dromgoole – of Shakespeare’s Major Tetralogy of Histories, recounting the youth and ascendance of Henry V of England. Featuring the finest actors and leading directors, it is part of a project committed to creating ever wider access to this rich cultural heritage. Richard II features wonderfully virtuosic language portraying the entitled, vain, aloof, then suddenly vulnerable King. In the wake of his overthrow, Shakespeare’s greatest historical saga begins, an epic pair of plays telling of power, treachery and war, surveying the entire panorama of English life, and exploring the complexity of father-son relationships, including that between King Henry IV and his undisciplined successor, Prince Hal. In the final play, as a mature King Henry V, he recites one of most famous speeches ever written, as Shakespeare recalls a truly great English victory. The films in this set capture the unique atmosphere and theatrical space of the Globe Theatre. The exhilarating sense of interaction between the actors on stage and the audience in live performances is exquisitely maintained on screen.

Recorded live at the Shakespeare’s Globe, 2015.

Shakespeare set this darkest of comedies in Vienna to cloak a scathing critique of hypocrisy in the corrupt authority of his own London. Purity and mercy do win out in the end, but not before audiences are treated to the lighter side of depravity in a ‘riotously enjoyable’ (The Independent) ‘crowd-pleasing saucy romp’ (Evening Standard). In this, his Globe Theatre farewell, Director Dominic Dromgoole’s ‘buoyant production’ (Guardian) casts a Mariah Gale ‘so centred and self-possessed that Isabella’s conviction seems to reach every corner of the house without once turning cloying’ (New York Times).

REVIEW:

Mariah Gale is an outstanding Isabella.

-- The Sunday Times (UK)

Beethoven’s only opera is a masterpiece, an uplifting story of risk and triumph. In this new production, conducted by Antonio Pappano, David Butt Philip plays the political prisoner Florestan, and Lise Davidsen his wife Leonore (disguised as ‘Fidelio’) who daringly sets out to rescue him. Set in strong counterpoint are the ingredients of domestic intrigue, determined love and the cruelty of an oppressive regime. The music is transcendent throughout, with highlights including the famous Act I Quartet, the Prisoners’ Chorus and Florestan’s aria, which conjures hope from the depths of despair. Tobias Kratzer’s new staging brings together the dark reality of the French Revolutionary ‘Terror’ and our own time to illuminate Fidelio’s inspiring message of shared humanity.

REVIEW:

The strong cast is rightly dominated by the splendid Leonore of Lise Davidsen. For a start, she looks the part, being naturally quite tall, and she copes with the difficulties of the role with apparent ease. Her recitative and aria Abscheulicher… Komm, Hoffnung is beautifully done, with the tricky runs and leaps securely negotiated. David Butt Philip is a satisfactory replacement for Kaufmann, and his aria was moving, despite the awkwardness of the setting and his tendency to grimace. Georg Zeppenfeld acted and sang well as Rocco, and Simon Neal made the stage villain Pizarro really alarming. Of the smaller parts, really impressive was Amanda Forsythe’s affecting Marzelline. She appears with what looks like an incipient bruise on her face, the result of a row with Jaquino mimed during the overture, which I suppose adds to the motivation to prefer Fidelio. Her attempted seduction of the disguised Leonore and her appearance in the dungeon are presumably ideas of Kratzer, which she did her best with. The chorus was fine, the orchestra played well, especially the woodwind, and Pappano conducted with verve and commitment.

There are two brief extras, one with comments of the performers on the work and the other with pictures of them in role. The sound and vision are good; I was listening in ordinary stereo. The DVD is slightly difficult to navigate, with the scenes in the second act not appearing in the menu. But that is a small matter. This is worth seeing for the excellent performances, particularly Lise Davidsen’s Leonore, if you can cope with the problematic staging of the second act.

-- MusicWeb International

One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, Much Ado About Nothing contrasts the happiness of lovers Claudio and Hero, and the cynicism of sparring partners Beatrice and Benedick, who are united in their scorn for love. Trickery plays a large part in the story, as Beatrice and Benedick are duped into declaring their love for one another, and the dastardly Don John deceives Claudio into believing that Hero has been unfaithful. Marking the debut of director Jeremy Herrin at the Globe Theatre, this production features Eve Best as the feisty and high-spirited Beatrice and Charles Edwards as her cynical counterpart, Benedick.

Reviews

"Eve Best and Charles Edwards are gorgeously well-matched and sublimely ridiculous." (Time Out London)

"Shakespeare's Globe has got in with the first of two Much Ado productions and raises the bar high with an exuberant production." (The Daily Telegraph)

Recorded live at the Shakespeare’s Globe, June 2015.

Take one pair of estranged twin brothers (both called Antipholus), and one pair of estranged twin servants (both called Dromio), keep them in ignorance of each other and throw them into a city with a reputation for sorcery, and you have all the ingredients for theatrical chaos. One Antipholus is astonished by his foreign hospitality; the other enraged by the hostility of his home town. The Dromios, caught between the two, are soundly beaten for obeying all the wrong orders. Basing his plot on a farce by Plautus, Shakespeare caps the mayhem of his Roman original to build up a hectic tale of violent cross-purposes, furious slapstick and social nightmare. This sell-out production employs authentic Renaissance costumes and staging and has audiences roaring with laughter as it crams in “more hilarious anarchy than you can shake a fish, cat or identity-confused servant at.” (London Theatre Guide).

REVIEWS:

The sparkling cast serves a feast of fun and flying cabbages.

-- The Times (UK)

As enchanting a it is hilarious.

-- The Independent

The only one of Shakespeare’s plays to be set within his own class and country, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a farcical tale centering on the wily attempts of Sir John Falstaff to relieve his drinking debts through swindling and seduction. Featuring Christopher Benjamin in the title role, deftly supported by Serena Evans and Sarah Woodward as the scheming Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, this critically-acclaimed production was described by the Daily Telegraph as brimming with ‘humanity, ingenuity and irresistible charm’. A performance guaranteed to entertain.

REVIEWS:

"This revival of Christopher Luscombe's lively 2008 production is the perfect addition to the Globe's 2010 Kings and Rogues season and is arguably the most accessible to a contemporary audience." (The Stage)

"Audiences tend to adore this play, in which Shakespeare genially celebrates his own middle-class English provincial background and seeks to do nothing more than entertain, which he does, splendidly. The Merry Wives, with its ridiculous foreigners, jealous husbands and scenes of low farce, keeps you chuckling almost throughout." (The Daily Telegraph)

This collection brings together Globe Theatre productions dating from 2009 to 2015 – during the artistic directorship of Dominic Dromgoole – of twelve of Shakespeare’s most celebrated Comedies. Featuring the finest actors and leading directors, it is part of a project committed to creating ever wider access to this rich cultural heritage. The films in this set capture the unique atmosphere and theatrical space of the Globe Theatre. The exhilarating sense of interaction between the actors on stage and the audience in live performances is exquisitely maintained on screen.

REVIEWS:

"Dominic Dromgoole's zesty production succeeds in captivating the audience to a degree that I would not have thought possible...It's a treat." (The Independent on Love's Labour's Lost)

"This is a crowd-pleasing production...and the laughs come thick and fast" (Evening Standard on The Taming of the Shrew)

"Eve Best and Charles Edwards are gorgeously well-matched and sublimely ridiculous." (Time Out on Much Ado About Nothing)

"Naomi Frederick's superb Rosalind is a woman of wit and intelligence...Laskey's Orlando is equally bewitched, bothered and bewildered, and the playfulness between the two is a pleasure." (The Guardian on As You Like It)

Recorded live at the Shakespeare’s Globe, May 2014.

Antony and Cleopatra is Shakespeare’s great historical love story, a tragedy infused with comic elements that explores the conflicting claims of sex and power, expressed in poetry of breath-taking beauty. Conveying the polarities of Rome and Egypt, Jonathan Munby’s ‘exquisitely understated’ (Independent) Globe production effortlessly captures the play’s cinematic rhythm, with Clive Wood cast as a ruffian, ‘indomitable’ Antony (Financial Times) and Eve Best ‘restlessly sensual’ (Guardian) in her lauded portrayal of the mercurial Cleopatra.

REVIEWS:

A blistering roar of a production.

-- London Theatre

Richly Entertaining...

-- The Times (UK)

Spellbinding mood...

-- The Independent

This collection brings together Globe Theatre productions dating from 2009 to 2014 – during the artistic directorship of Dominic Dromgoole – of five of Shakespeare’s most admired Tragedies along with Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. Born the same year as Shakespeare, Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day and before his untimely death was a great influence on the Bard. Featuring the finest actors and leading directors, this set is part of a project committed to creating ever wider access to this rich cultural heritage. The films in this set capture the unique atmosphere and theatrical space of the Globe Theatre. The exhilarating sense of interaction between the actors on stage and the audience in live performances is exquisitely maintained on screen.

REVIEWS:

Of individual plays contained herein:

"Shakespeare rarely feels so speedily urgent...Exceptional" (The Independent on Titus Andronicus)

""Is this well done?" a character asks at the end of Shakespeare's tragedy. I'd say that Jonathan Munby's production is, on the whole, extremely well done. It captures the play's cinematic rhythm as one scene dissolves into the next, and also its dreamlike quality..." (The Guardian on Antony and Cleopatra)

"A triumph of spine-tingling spectacle. Director Matthew Dunster conjures in a way that would delight the Prince of Darkness himself." (The Spectator on Doctor Faustus)

"Eve Best's directorial debut is a cracking – at times, terrifying – production of Macbeth." (The Daily Telegraph on Macbeth)

Of the box set:

Here we have five Shakespeare plays labeled "Tragedies" (those that we would classify as "tragedies" in terms of content, such as "The Merchant of Venice" and actually also "The Tempest", are technically found in the "Comedies")—this offers a full range of possibilities...There is an almost endless reservoir of performers to draw on who can handle Shakespeare with ease—mostly (of course not all) extremely precise speakers, especially the older generation who have Shakespeare in their little fingers. They almost breathe with the language, and where pathos is supposed to sound, it also sounds and is part of it. It's part of the easy-going nature of it all.

One must never forget, however, that, despite all apparent directness, it is of course highly stylized theatre. The actors featured here have rarely achieved more than regional fame (there are only a few), but they know how to do their Shakespeare: they step into the roles, and in the "Globe" performances (but only in these) no "interpretation" takes them away from their characters: they play what Shakespeare wrote and do it admirably. They can also fence and fight, dance and sing, move with choreographic precision. This ranges from youthful exuberance that tips into tragedy ("Romeo and Juliet") to the shocking excesses that Shakespeare, in his most extreme play "Titus Andronicus," brought to the stage—truly, he and no one else invented the "theater of cruelty", along with the brutally crude humor that the performance also ruthlessly uses.

The performance is generally in Shakespearean-era costume, a Renaissance style associated with Elizabethan-era paintings, with some differentiation—a handkerchief may appear draped loosely over the shoulder of a Renaissance doublet, and one is in Rome with Julius Caesar. It gets even more colorful with "Antony and Cleopatra", because "Egyptomania" plays a big part in the equipment, radiating exoticism and decadence. Eve Best (known as Wallis Simpson in The King's Speech) is a lascivious, defiant Cleopatra—and she was an excellent director of the suspenseful "Macbeth," with its accompaniment of Scottish bagpipes. Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" is included in this "Tragedies" box as an opulent bonus.

-- Merker Online

Ruling by divine right, but himself ruled by caprice, King Richard exiles Henry Bolingbroke and seizes his father’s vast estates. While Richard is distracted by a rebellion in Ireland, Bolingbroke returns to England, intent on recovering his rightful property and, with the support of his disgruntled peers, perhaps seizing the crown itself. Dazzlingly eloquent and ceremonious, Richard II invests a weak and self-dramatizing man with tragic status and represents Shakespeare’s most searching exploration of the meaning of kingship and the rising powers that can destroy it.

REVIEW:

Charles Edwards’s excellent Richard pierces the heart. Recommended. (The Independent)

Four runaway lovers find themselves smack bang in the middle of a dispute between the King and Queen of the fairies, and, if that wasn’t enough, a troupe of amateur actors are trying to rehearse a play. Between these unlikely groups flies Puck, armed only with a wicked sense of humour and a love potion capable of making anyone fall for the first person they set eyes upon. What could possibly go wrong Fusing music dance and some serious comedy, Emma Rice’s first production as Artistic Director brings the Dream crashing into the Globe’s magical setting. Naughty, tender, transgressive and surprising, it is truly a festival of theatre. Internationally acclaimed actor, singer and Performance Diva Meow Meow plays the mischievous fairy queen Titania. Let the joy begin!

REVIEWS:

"The Globe certainly rocks with laughter in an irreverent evening in which the jokes come fast and furious...an entertaining and rowdy night out..." (The Guardian)

"This is living theatre, hot-blooded and hot-bodied, a production that feels utterly at home in the space while also challenging people’s perceptions of what the Globe is for...this is joyful stuff." (The Stage)

"...A Midsummer Night’s Dream along with a vibrant score of toe-tapping music that offers a knowing commentary on the text. There are bursts of Bowie and Beyoncé, and snatches of George Formby and Marilyn Monroe, which add delicious feather-light suggestions and illuminations that link our culture with the Elizabethan age. It’s wonderful stuff. The ensemble work, the visual exuberance, and the fun-loving spirit of the piece are astoundingly good. What an extraordinary debut for Emma Rice." (The Spectator)

Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew tells the tale of the sharp-tongued Kate, who must marry before her younger sister, Bianca, is allowed to find a suitor. Undaunted by her waspish reputation, Petruchio attempts to woo the not-so-fair maiden, but is faced with a tirade of poisonous insults. Samantha Spiro stars as cantankerous Kate, capable of knocking a grown man down with her fist. With a stellar supporting cast, the production is a triumph, thanks to its ‘riotous mixture of verbal dexterity and slapstick’ (The Daily Telegraph). Filmed in High Definition and true Surround Sound.

REVIEWS:

"This is a crowd-pleasing production...and the laughs come thick and fast" (The Evening Standard)

"Toby Frow balances the play’s startling cruelty with exuberant comic energy...This intelligent and energetic production finds the tenderness in the text, and sends its audience home amused, exhilarated, but also disturbed — which is as it should be." (The Telegraph)