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Distributor:
Acorn Media UK
Certificate: 12 |
region 2 | 349 minutes | 2 disc set
Available to Buy
Extras:
Yes
ANYONE
IN IT WE KNOW?
Sarah Parish, Damien Lewis, Billie Piper, James McAvoy, Keeley Hawes, Shirley Henderson, Rufus Sewell, Stephen Tompkinson, Twiggy Lawson, Bill Paterson, Sharon Small, Johnny Vegas,
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WHAT’S
IT ABOUT THEN?
Like the earlier Canterbury Tales this is a brilliant idea for a classy BBC series, modern day retellings of four Shakespeare plays, shot through with pop culture references, groovy soundtracks and a truly scintillating cast.
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Much Ado About Nothing is set in the world of a local TV Newsroom and Beatrice (Sarah Parish) and Benedick (Damien Lewis) are television news presenters who were once lovers but fell out years previously and now hate each other. Now he is hired to work alongside her on the show and they must find someway to get along; In
Macbeth Joe Macbeth James McAvoy) is a head chef working at busy restaurant. After some strange predictions by three dustbin men and with urging from his wife Macbeth murders his senior business partner and takes over full control of the restaurant. But his guilt at his action sends him to the verge of madness.;
In The Taming of the Shrew Katherine Minola is a politician with a furious temper but has worked her way up and is on the verge of becoming leader of the opposition.
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Her fiery abrasive personality means she has never had a man in her life. But a friend of her sister's boyfriend - Petruchio - is a man eager to take on a challenge and sets about to woo and tame her. Finally in
A MIdsummer Nights Dream, Hermia's father Theo (Bill Paterson) has organised a lavish party at a holiday park for her engagement - but she calls it off declaring she loves another. The king of the fairies, Oberon, and his cohorts get involved weaving magical love potions and spells to try and sort out the tangled loves of those there present.
We can't speak too highly of this series, each production is very different in style, Macbeth is incredibly dark of course whilst Much Ado About Nothing is as light as feather. The language, whilst having been updated still has enough of the Shakespeare flow to keep the purists happy. The cream of young British acting talent also appears to have been cast with the likes of the splendid James McAvoy and Keely Hawes in Macbeth and Sarah Parish and Damien Lewis in Much Ado.
My own two personal picks of the bunch are the first (Much Ado) and the last (Midsummer), both light and just delicious. All will definitely stand up to repeat viewings over the years to come so you have to mark this 2 disc set from Acorn down as essential.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
Extras (all on disc one) feature interviews with various actors and academics on the nature of Shakespeare as well as cast filmographies, a picture gallery an a text based look at Shakespeare on Film.
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