Stephen Fry (Malvolio (Twelfth Night)); Mark Rylance (Olivia (Twelfth Night)); Roger Allam (Falstaff (Henry IV); Prospero (The Tempest)); Jamie Parker (Hal (Henry IV); Henry V (Henry V); Oliver (As You Like It)); Samantha Spiro (Katherina (The Taming of the Shrew); Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)); Catherine Bailey (Portia (Julius Caesar)); Eve Best (Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing); Cleopatra (Anthony and Cleopatra)); Jessie Buckley (Miranda (The Tempest))

Shakespeare’s Globe, the reconstruction of his most famous London theatre, is at the centre of the astonishing global fascination with Britain’s greatest playwright. Completed in 1997, it is a living theatrical experiment that has allowed audiences to experience the impact of Shakespeare’s stories in the architecture for which he wrote; the result has been a rediscovery of the plays in all their human richness.

This collection brings together 22 Globe Theatre productions from 2009 to 2015 – during the artistic directorship of Dominic Dromgoole – featuring the finest actors and leading directors in a project committed to creating ever wider access to this rich cultural heritage. Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies contain dazzling poetry, romance, epic power struggles, human suffering and ingenious, raucous humour.

These films capture the unique atmosphere and theatrical space of the Globe Theatre, with the exhilarating sense of interaction in live performances between the audience and the actors on stage exquisitely maintained on screen.