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Title details for Macbeth by William Shakespeare - Available

Macbeth

A BBC Radio Shakespeare production

by William Shakespeare
Full Cast
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

In this BBC full-cast production, a trio of witches predicts Macbeth's early demise.
In a tale of fate, fulfilment and ego, Macbeth and his wife desire the Scottish kingship. Macbeth's temptation and descent into evil, his wife's ruthlessness and subsequent madness and the overarching presence of the supernatural charge this gripping production. Will their conscience, and the prophecy, catch up with them before the crown can be secured?
Ken Stott stars as Macbeth and Phyllis Logan as Lady Macbeth.
BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly-formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.
In this acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the modern day.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 1, 2004

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781405697781
      • File size: 52786 KB
      • Duration: 01:49:58

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 520
    • Text Difficulty: 1-3

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 1, 1993
      Based on an HBO animated series, these condensations emphasize the dramatic content of some of Shakespeare's best known works. As abridged by Garfield in consultation with a panel of scholars, the books on the whole retain the magic of Shakespeare's vision and remain true to his poetics. Linguistic fluidity is perforce sacrificed (omitted lines are presented as italicized summaries interspersed throughout the dialogue), but these versions should still fire children's imaginations. Though the artwork varies in quality, the Eastern European illustrators generally capture the underlying theatrics. Palettes are subdued for the dramas, and appropriately brighter for the comedies (though the tone reproductions frequently seem off). Several plays' illustrations have a cartoony appearance; a few exhibit the stilted look of old Classics Comics. While the plays forgo their complexities--many subplots are omitted--as they become more linear in their themes (Macbeth loses much of his humanity, Romeo and Juliet is pared of its politics), their nobility shines through in these visualized introductions. One hopes that readers will be encouraged to move on to the originals. Ages 10-up.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      If you enjoy vintage productions of radio theater, the CBC delivers just what you're waiting for in this archived MACBETH. The sound and style remind one of not only radio of the past, but also early television drama, with its dense, cloudy sound, semi-classical delivery, and busy production. It sounds as if there were two directors on board, one for the actors and one for the producers, and that is not meant as a compliment. If you love Shakespeare unconditionally, you'll want this nicely packaged CD for your collection. Yes, one CD for the entire play--a polite voice-over catches us up between scenes on what we've missed. D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      MACBETH has a cursed history. A disturbingly large number of actors have been maimed, mugged, and even murdered while performing it--so experiencing it safely via CD is perhaps prudent. This recording is everything one has come to expect from the Arkangel Shakespeare series--solid performances and suitably Scottish voices--but offers little in the way of fresh interpretation. Still, the famous scenes are memorable--from the drama of Lady Macbeth's guilty sleepwalking to the low comedy of the drunken porter at the gates of hell--and remind the listener that even a conventional Macbeth succeeds if it is well acted. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      This dramatization is strongest at the strangest and most intense moments of this great tragedy. When Macbeth meets the weird sisters, when Lady Macbeth reveals her soul in a monologue, or when the forces clash in battle, this dramatization is hypnotic. The performances are first rate, and the sound quality is varied and nicely layered; each character speaks in a different cadence, with some difference in accent, and multiple background sound effects (a horn, the wind) combine to suggest a lively world without obscuring the core dialogue. However, the more mundane moments--the planning, the consideration--are harder to follow, and harder to care about, with no actors to watch. G.T.B. [Selection from The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare set.] (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      In one of Shakespeare's shortest plays, a Scots noble, inspired by witches, murders to become king and then loses himself in brutality. James Marsters and Joanne Whalley, as Macbeth and his Lady, are both quite good, if rarely exciting or remarkable. Whalley hits that mark more often. There are, by turns, some flatness and overacting in the lesser roles. There's too much forced laughter among the supernumeraries and too much grunting during fights we cannot see. Still, the overall production is effective. Without standout performances, the play takes the lead. The music and sound effects, though occasionally overdone, help build a sense of dread and things gone very wrong. Text, performances, and sound combine to deliver an affecting tale of tragic horror. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from January 30, 2012
      Audio productions of Shakespeare’s work can be a challenge to execute, but L.A. Theatre Works delivers a gripping full-cast dramatization that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish. When Macbeth is told he will one day become king of Scotland, Lady Macbeth hatches an evil plot that ends in bloody regicide and tragedy. James Marsters delivers an admirable performance as Macbeth, conveying the character’s conflicting emotions and subsequent arrogance. Equally skilled is Joanne Whalley, whose Lady Macbeth transforms from a determined and opportunistic woman in the beginning of the play to a depressed and despairing one in the final act. Recorded in front of a live audience, this well-produced audio also features music and sound effects—all of which make for an absolutely entertaining listening experience.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:520
  • Text Difficulty:1-3

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