BBC Radio Presents: King Lear by William Shakespeare (Presented by The Renaissance Theatre Company) [3 Audio Cassettes/3.5 Hrs.] [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

William Shakespeare (Author), Sir John Gielgud (Narrator), Kenneth Branagh (Narrator), Emma Thompson (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1994

The Renaissance Theatre Company presents an extraordinary new production of King Lear. With Sir John Gielgud as Lear, Kenneth Branagh as Edmond, and Emma Thompson as Cordelia, this stellar cast illuminates the terrible consequences of one man's decision to defy the dictates of time and nature in a brilliant, ensemble performance. Embodying some of the most profoundly moving expressions of power corrupted, of love and loyalty betrayed, and of man himself betrayed by age and folly, this production of King Lear sweeps the listener into a majestic maelstrom of love and hate, death and madness. This clear and subtly nuanced dramatization combines a full cast with an outstanding musical score and full sound effects, bringing this magnificent Shakespearean classic vividly to life.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: BBC Enterprises (1994)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002RCB1I4
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,571,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent performance, May 26, 2010

By 

JessD "IT/Book Nerd" (Boone, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BBC Radio Presents: King Lear by William Shakespeare (Presented by The Renaissance Theatre Company) [3 Audio Cassettes/3.5 Hrs.] (Audio Cassette)

I was fortunate in that I duplicated my copy of these audio cassettes to CD before finally wearing them out!

This is an excellent performance, and it has been the standard by which every other production of Lear has been judged, at least for me. I've lost the cast notes, so I can't tell you who the person who played the Fool was, sadly, but the exchanges between him and Gielgud are letter perfect.

As I write this, Amazon lists the performance as being out of stock with no listing on when they expect more copies in, and I've not found CD reproductions anywhere. I can only hope others can find duplicates out there, as it would be tragic for such a fine performance to have been lost.