King Richard III (Naxos AudioBooks) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

William Shakespeare (Author), Kenneth Branagh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 962634217X | ISBN-13: 978-9626342176 | Publication Date: April 2001 | Edition: Abridged

Richard of Gloucester will stop at nothing to gain control of the throne occupied by his brother, Edward IV.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

John Dover Wilson's New Shakespeare, published between 1921 and 1966, became the classic Cambridge edition of Shakespeare's plays and poems until the 1980s. The series, long since out-of-print, is now reissued. Each work contains a lengthy and lively introduction, main text, and substantial notes and glossary. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Kenneth Branagh, a leading figure in film, TV and on stage, is equally at home with classic and contemporary subjects. However, as director and adaptor, he has made a particular contribution to Shakspearean performance with his films such as Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, Hamlet, Othello and Love's Labour's Lost. His recording of Richard III is the first for Naxos AudioBooks.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks; Abridged edition (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 962634217X
• ISBN-13: 978-9626342176
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #773,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Shakespeare, William

More About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic, June 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: King Richard III (Naxos AudioBooks) (Audio CD)

The Naxos recording is an excellent rendition of RIII. The characterization is rich and well done. Full of passion and rage, you don't need to see the actors to "see" the play. The scene with Anne is particularly good.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent production, July 4, 2008

By 

Shakespeare fan (Gainesville, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King Richard III (Naxos AudioBooks) (Audio CD)

The actors in this production are superb. Stella Gonet as Lady Anne is exceptional. Even without seeing the play, it is easy to understand because the actors read with such expression that the listener becomes totally immersed in the story. I loved it.