The BBC Shakespeare Collection Box Set [DVD] [1978]

In other ways, it's much more than a DVD box set. It's Shakespeare's writing of course that carries the day, and the actors who bring the plays to life. For powerhouse acting Othello with Anthony Hopkins as the Moor, and Bob Hoskins as Iago gets the nod, but other plays and performers also got my notice. And they may not be the ones that are often thought of. Peter Benson as Henry VI and Julia Foster as his Queen Margaret, Anthony Quayle as Falstaff, Timothy West as Cardinal Wolsey, Brian Glover as Bottom, Frank Middlemass as Lear's Fool, Jonathan Pryce as Timon, and Richard Pasco as Jaques are just a few of the actors and roles that impressed me. There are surprises too. A minor pop star Brian Protheroe shows up in Titus Andronicus, the Henry VI plays, and Richard III. He's good in the roles he plays. I'd like to see more of him. Four actresses, Helen Mirren as Rosiland, Titania, and Imogen, Clair Bloom as Gertrude, the Queen in Cymbeline and Queen Katherine in Henry VIII, Penelope Wilton as Desdemona and Regan, and Jane Lapotaire as Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra also caught my attention.

It's often asserted that these plays are Shakespeare uncut. This is not true. There are many cuts, and a few additions. For example take The Taming of the Shrew. Act 1, Scene 1 is cut, and at the end Petruchio and Kate's exit is cut and the cast sits around a table and sings the 128th Psalm, which is no where found in the play. Then look at Cymbeline where acts four and five are heavily cut and scenes and speeches are freely rearranged. And finally look at Henry VI Part 3 Act 2, Sen. 1. In the play Edward and Richard enter, and their brother George is no where to be found. In the BBC version, George is there and he speaks some of Edward's and Richard's lines. There is plenty of tinkering going on here, the best part is the price.

Casts of wonderful actors make the characters really come alive. Jane Lapotaire is wonderful as Cleopatra and as Lady Macbeth, Anthony Quayle is a memorable Falstaff in the two parts of Henry IV, Tim Piggott Smith captures Hotspur perfectly in the same, Jon Finch looks exactly as I've imagined the usurping Bolingbroke to look, the 14 year old Rebecca Saire is a superb Juliet, the plebeians in Julius Caesar resemble contemporary tradesmen and speak in a sort of delightful Cockney accent. These are just a few examples from the plays I've had time to watch so far. Crucially, I was delighted to see the actors do the roles in different ways than the cinematic productions often condition us to think about the characters. For instance, look out for Juliet's nanny in the BBC production as opposed to that in Zefirelli's film.

It is also interesting to see some very well known British actors, a mix of Shakespeareans like John Gielgud and Derek Jacobi, along with more popularly known actors such as Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Anthony Hopkins or Clive Swift.

All 37 DVDs come in slim cases, there is also a little brochure with some stills from the productions, an introduction which I found quite interesting, and details about the date, director, and cast of each production. It all comes in a beautiful box, which is a joy to behold. Yes, the top flap on mine is also torn, it seems to have happened to everyone, and the top and bottom of the Antony and Cleopatra slim case was also broken, but I wouldn't exaggerate. It's hardly reason to fault the entire collection. The DVD's themselves are fine, and of excellent quality.

In sum, the collection is very worth investing in, and I'm very glad I bought it. I dare say it is a must for any lover of Shakespeare and something that will stay with you for many years to come.