Shakespeare: Great Comedies Box Set (Shakespeare's Globe)

Stephen Fry (Malvolio (Twelfth Night)); Johnny Flynn (Viola (Twelfth Night)); John Light (Oberon (A Midsummer Night's Dream)); Matthew Tennyson (Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dream)); Simon Paisley Day (Petruchio (The Taming of the Shrew)); Sarah MacRae (Bianca (The Taming of the Shrew)); Mark Rylance (Olivia (Twelfth Night));

This limited edition box-set brings together three of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies, from the hilarious tale of misdirection and deception that is Twelfth Night to the slapstick humour of The Taming of Shrew and the magic and mischief that jointly characterise A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Brimming with first-class British acting – including stand-outperformances from such lauded individuals as Michelle Terry, Samantha Spiro, Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry – this trio of award-winning Globe Theatre productions brilliantly underscores the humour that is inherent in each of the three Elizabethan dramas, with inventive staging, outstanding costumes and original music performed on period style instruments providing the finishing touches to a must-have collection.

TWELFTH NIGHT (2012)

Samuel Barnett / Liam Brennan / Paul Chahidi / John Paul Connolly/ Ian Drysdale / Johnny Flynn / Stephen Fry / James Garnon / Peter Hamilton Dyer / Colin Hurley / Roger Lloyd Pack / Mark Rylance / Jethro Skinner / Ben Thompson

Director: Tim Carroll

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (2012)

John Light / Pearce Quigley / Michelle Terry / Luke Thompson / Matthew Tennyson / Tom Lawrence / Christopher Logan / Sarah MacRae

Director: Dominic Dromgoole

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (2012)

Samantha Spiro / Simon Paisley Day / Michael Bertenshaw / Pearce Quigley / Joseph Timms Helen Weir / Tom Anderson / Jamie Beamish / David Beames / Pip Donaghy / Patrick Driver / Tom Godwin / Chris Keegan / Sarah MacRae / Rick Warden

Director: Toby Frow

Reviews

"Although this is ensemble theatre at its finest, it’s Rylance’s contribution that puts the production among all-time Shakespeare greats. Frankly unmissable." (The Daily Telegraph - Twelfth Night)

"... it is difficult to imagine that Twelfth Night could be performed more effectively than it currently is at the Globe theatre ..." (The Guardian - Twelfth Night)

"This is a crowd-pleasing production ... and the laughs come thick and fast" (The Evening Standard - The Taming of the Shrew)

"Matthew Tennyson's Puck is beguilingly fey, while Luke Thompson, as a Lysander beaming with childlike over-enthusiasm, makes a professional debut of some note in this warm, comic production ... a warm, comic vision ideally pitched to this performance space. [Dominic Dromgoole's] production bursts with crowd-pleasing gestures ..." (The Evening Standard - A Midsummer Night's Dream ★★★★)