Customer Reviews

BBC Shakespeare Comedies DVD Giftbox

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the BBC series marketed by Ambrose Video that many colleges and libraries have purchased (see ambrosevideo.com). These DVD packages are a very good deal because the original videos are prohibitively expensive (although I broke down and purchased several of the plays that are simply not available on any other media - when was the last theater run you saw of Cymbeline, Henry VIII, or Troilus And Cressida?). The 37 play VHS series is still >$2,500, the DVD series ~$3,000, selected 5 play sets on DVD $150, and individual plays around $100. The series was remarkable in that it actually included all 37 plays in full with a solid set of players (many famous) who worked hard at maintaining as much historical accuracy as possible, but especially with the verbiage.

This set makes a total of 15 of the plays now available at reasonable cost on DVD. There are 3 five play DVDs now available as follows:

Tragedies

Romeo & Juliet
Hamlet
Macbeth
Julius Caesar
Othello

Histories

Henry V
Richard II
Richard III
Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II

Comedies

As You Like It
The Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Merchant of Venice

The Comedies Series has some of the best, so it is well worth the expense. The problem is that many of the scenes are less than sparkling....it's very much like watching the filming of the series of plays instead of watching a movie or TV version.....even the Bard himself would have struggled to keep the life in them with no audience. Sometimes the effort for accuracy actually shows in some of the acting. You have to give the various troups credit for sticking to the goals of the series, but realize that it is done with some sacrifices to the thrill and magic at some points.

What I like about the BBC series is the hard-to-find plays.....like All's Well That Ends Well, Coriolanus, Cymbeline, Measure For Measure, Henry VI, Henry VIII....it's nice to see the whole Wars Of The Roses historical series with the same troup.

Here is the information on each play in this series (as given by Ambrose Video):

As You Like It
Shakespeare at his sunniest, posing serious questions in the most lighthearted tone. Is there a natural difference between a Duke's daughter and a commoner? Are men really stronger than women? Or is it just society's role? Some of these characters briefly discard the roles they've played, while others adopt new one. All learn something about themselves. Stars Helen Mirren, Brian Stirner and Richard Pasco. Running Time: 150 minutes.

The Taming of the Shrew
This comic confrontation between the sexes is one of the most frequently-staged plays. Its sparkling wit and rich characterization are matched with an outstanding cast. John Cleese, of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers gives a portrayal of Petruchio that wins unanimous critical acclaim, praised as "an object lesson in serving Shakespeare to a present-day audience. ̈ Running Time: 127 minutes.

The Tempest
A dramatic romance, weaving fancy and realism into a plot that speaks to audiences today. This timeless stage is set on an enchanted island, where an exiled Duke and two young lovers encounter the occult, finding good and evil in their own natures. Starring Christopher Guard, Michael Hordern and more. Running Time: 150 minutes.

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Three plots intertwine: the entangled love affairs of Demetrius and Helena, Lysander and Hermia, the comic performance of a "play within a play" by the tradesmen of Athens and the antics in fairyland of King Oberon and Queen Titania. The strong cast features Helen Mirren and Peter McEnery, Pippa Sward, Brian Clover and Phil Daniel. As the New York Times states "they are all accomplished performers, but the director has given the extra dimension of using them brilliantly in terms of television." Running Time: 112 minutes

The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most famous comedies. It has become most celebrated for its captivating villain, Shylock. Blending tragedy and comedy, this play presents contrasts and ambiguities. The complexity lies in the character Shylock. Is he a villain, a buffoon or tragic hero? Starring: Warren Mitchell, Gemma Jones. Running Time: 157 minutes

I have not seen this item but I wanted to know what was in the pack, when I found out I thought other people needed to know too!
Hence this "review"!

The BBC site shows the contents to be

As You Like It (1978) Stars Helen Mirren, Brian Stirner and Richard Pasco.

Taming of the Shrew (1980) John Cleese

The Tempest (1980)Starring Christopher Guard, Michael Hordern.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1981): features Helen Mirren and Peter McEnery, Pippa Sward, Brian Clover and Phil Daniel.

Merchant of Venice (1980): Starring: Warren Mitchell, Gemma Jones.

The plays are excellent, exactly as I had hoped and remembered from the original TV broadcasts. My set, however, arrived with a defective copy of "The Tempest." Although the disc was free of mars or scratches, ACT III is corrupted and unplayable on any of several machines. Despite Ambrose's assurance that they will replace damaged discs, my emails have gone unanswered.

While this is a wonderful way to purchase some of the BBC gems that are so HARD to find at a reasonable price anywhere...and while they have picked some very good titles... the fact that they left out what is simply the best version of Twelfth Night that has ever been produced is simply tragic. Felicity Kendal was fabulous as Viola and the rest of the cast was fantastic. I have finally been able to find this brilliant play at Documentary Video in a DVD version, but it's really sad that, in what is otherwise a wonderful collection of plays, they left the best on the cutting room floor.

I am overjoyed that these fine performances have finally been released at a reasonable price (I was beginning to suspect that those holding the rights wanted to suppress their distribution); however, I am disappointed that the three most amusing, accessible, and perhaps best performances in this series are absent from this collection: Twelfth Night, Much Ado about Nothing, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Merry Wives is by far the funniest of the comedies produced in this series, and although there have been recent productions of the other two plays, the performances in this series are superior in both cases. If five plays had to be chosen for this collection, the three mentioned above should have been chosen in favor of The Tempest, Midsummer Nights Dream, and As You Like it. Perhaps these will be released in a future collection. In spite of this, I would whole heartedly recommend buying this collection of fine performances.

The BBC Shakespearean plays are by far the best done that I've seen. I viewed nearly all of these in my two semesters of Shakespeare classes at university. However, I can't understand why Measure for Measure would be left out of these. Tim Pigott-Smith was superb as Angelo! Overall this is a fantastic deal on the plays that are available. They are terribly difficult to find and of highest quality.

I bought all Shakespeare BBC series... Of course, had no time to watch all discs in a timely manner. One of the disks (so far) freezes and would not play. I contacted AMBROSE VIDEO PUBLISHING and they say that since the set was not bought from them directly, most likely is a illegal copy so they will not replace it.

The DVD is most likely original (I can tell a DVD-R from an original) but it will not play.

On one hand, AMBROSE VIDEO PUBLISHING wants to increase the sales by using Amazon but on the other hand will offer NO support from purchase made outside their site (if even this is true).

Other customers complain also about this kind of problem. Frankly, until this DVD, it never occurred to me to find an original, brand new DVD that would not play.

I suggest avoiding their stuff...

$150 per a 5 DVD set is not cheap so if I pay them money, the least I expect is that the DVD would play.

I have not seen all the videos, but I have seen Taming of the Shrew in all versions and John Cleese's version in this collection is the best. He is hysterically funny. I wish they sold the plays separately.

These were released when I was in high school. My favorite is Twelfth Night which does not appear to be here - I only hope the list is wrong. However, A Midsummer Night's Dream with Helen Mirren as Titania is fantastic and it is well worth purchasing this collection to see her in that role. All of these plays were quality productions and I have waited over 20 years to be able to see them again.

For anyone who has desired to read all the works of Shakespeare, these DVDs are really the only way to go as the subtitles allow you to follow the written text and keep in your mind the beauty of the words that are being acted by some of England's top actors. I can't recommend this work more highly. I also use "Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare," and "Shakespeare, the Invention of the Human," by Harold Bloom to give me futher understanding of each play. Enjoy!!!