Theatre & Radio Audiobooks | Literature

"After the turmoil and uncertainty of Henry IV a new era appears to dawn for England with the accession of the eponymous Henry V. In this sunny pageant Chorus guides us along Henry's glittering carpet ride of success as the new king completes his transformation from rebellious wastrel to a truly regal potentate. Of course, there is an underlying feeling that the good times won't last, and this is all the more reason to enjoy the Indian summer before the protracted and bitter fall of the house of Lancaster. (Introduction by Algy Pug)"

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

Audiobook

Henry VI, Part 1

"Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixth (often written as 1 Henry VI) is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas 2 Henry VI deals with the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, and the inevitability of armed conflict, and 3 Henry VI deals with the horrors of that conflict, 1 Henry VI deals with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, as the English political system is torn apart by personal squabbles and petty jealousy. (Summary by Wikipedia)"

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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Henry VI, Part 2

"Henry VI, Part 2 or The Second Part of Henry the Sixth (often written as 2 Henry VI) is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas 1 Henry VI deals primarily with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, and 3 Henry VI deals with the horrors of that conflict, 2 Henry VI focuses on the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, the death of his trusted adviser Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, the rise of the Duke of York and the inevitability of armed conflict. As such, the play culminates with the opening battle of the War, the First Battle of St Albans. Henry VI may be viewed as a study in insurrection, which moves from the private and personal jostlings in the court in Part 1 to outright civil war in Part 3. In Part 2 the discord between prominent state officials, notably Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, spreads to the common people, fomenting an abortive rebellion, lead by the rascally Kentishman, Jack Cade. With the death of Humphrey, the period of regency for the naive Henry effectively comes to an end, and the unworldly monarch is helplessly exposed to the interminable strife between the factions of the houses of York and of Lancaster. The structure of the play differs from the other two parts in that there is a central rustic idyll (Act 4), populated by clownish characters, which recalls the idyllic centrepieces of comedies like A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It. The plays with the effective deposition of Henry, who is later re-installed as king in Part 3 by the influential Earl of Warwick. Henry VI, Part 2 has the largest cast of all Shakespeare's plays, and is seen by many critics as the best of the Henry VI trilogy. (Summary by Wikipedia and Algy Pug)"

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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Henry VI, Part 3

"Bona: ckless1 Duke of Exeter: Andy Minter Duke of Norfolk: kenrg Duke of Somerset: Readalot Earl of Northumberland: Chewbobcca Earl of Warwick: Algy Pug Earl of Westmoreland: Denny Sayers Earl of Oxford: Lars Rolander Edmund, Earl of Rutland: Nadine Eckert-Boulet Father who has killed his son: Denny Sayers First Keeper: Algy Pug First Messenger: Elizabeth Klett First Watchman: David Lawrence George, Duke of Clarence: Jason Mills Henry VI: Arielle Lipshaw Huntsman: Algy Pug King Edward IV: Dale Burgess King Lewis XI of France: Martin Geeson Lieutenant: Elizabeth Klett Lord Rivers: Denny Sayers Lord Clifford: Aidan Brack Lord Hastings: Ric F Marquess of Montague: Nadine Eckert-Boulet Mayor of York: Denny Sayers Messenger: Elizabeth Klett Nobleman: Algy Pug Post: Roseanne Schmidt Prince Edward: Corinna Schultz Queen Elizabeth: Elizabeth Barr Queen Margaret: Elizabeth Klett Richard III: Lars Rolander Richard Plantagenet: David Goldfarb Second Keeper: ravenotation Second Messenger: Availle Second Watchman: Nadine Eckert-Boulet Sir John Mortimer: Denny Sayers Soldier: Algy Pug Son who has killed his father: Amy Gramour Third Watchman: Lucy Perry Tutor of Rutland: Algy Pug Narrator: Sandra G Audio edited by: Elizabeth Klett and Algy Pug"

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

Audiobook

He and She

"A feminist drama that gained considerable critical and commercial success when it originally ran on Broadway. The play is about a husband and wife who also happen to be artists. A socially conscious battle of the sexes ensues over professional jealousy and whether the woman's place in the home should be thrown over for occupational dreams. (Summary by ChuckW & Amanda Friday) Cast: Tom Herford: Robert Hoffman Ann Herford: Caprisha Page Daisy Herford: Arielle Lipshaw Millicent: Libby Gohn Dr. Remington: Bruce Pirie Keith McKenzie: Chuck Williamson Ruth Creel/Narrator: Amanda Friday Ellen: Elizabeth Klett Audio edited by: Michele Eaton"

Rachel Crothers (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

Audiobook

Iphigenia in Tauris

"Orestes, coming into Tauri in Scythia, in company with Pylades, had been commanded to bear away the image of Diana, after which he was to meet with a respite from the avenging Erinnyes of his mother. His sister Iphigenia, who had been carried away by Diana from Aulis, when on the point of being sacrificed by her father, chances to be expiating a dream that led her to suppose Orestes dead, when a herdsman announces to her the arrival and detection of two strangers, whom she is bound by her office to sacrifice to Diana. On meeting, a mutual discovery takes place, and they plot their escape. - Summary by Theodore Buckley"

Euripides (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

Audiobook

Julius Caesar

"William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, based on true events, concerns the conspiracy against Julius Caesar, his assassination in 44 BC, and its immediate aftermath. Probably written in 1599 and among the first of Shakespeare's plays to be performed at the Globe Theater, Julius Caesar is one of his best-known dramas and has received innumerable performances throughout the centuries. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden after Wikipedia)"

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

Audiobook

King Henry IV, Part 1

"King Henry IV, Part 1 is the second of Shakespeare's eight Wars of the Roses history plays, with events following those of King Richard II. As the play opens, King Henry IV (formerly Henry Bolingbroke) and Henry Percy (Hotspur) argue over the disposition of prisoners from the Battle of Holmedon. The King's attitude toward Mortimer and the Percy family prompts them to plot rebellion. In the meantime, his son Prince Hal is living the low life in the company of Sir John Falstaff. As the time of battle nears, Prince Hal joins his father and is given a high command. The play's climax is the Battle of Shrewsbury, in which Prince Hal and Hotspur meet and fight, with Prince Hal and the forces of the King prevailing. The action continues in King Henry IV, Part 2. From the start this has been an extremely popular play both with the public and with critics. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden and Wikipedia)"

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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King Henry IV, Part 2

"Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V. The play picks up where Henry IV, Part 1 left off. Its focus is on Prince Hal's journey toward kingship and his ultimate rejection of Falstaff. (Summary from Wikipedia)"

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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King Lear

"King Lear is widely held as the greatest of Shakespeare's tragedies; to some, it is the greatest play ever written. King Lear abdicates the British throne, to divide his kingdom among his three daughters in proportion to their professed love of him. His plan misfires when Cordelia, his youngest and favourite daughter, refuses to flatter her father; she is disinherited and banished. This LibriVox recording marks the 400th anniversary of the first performance of the play, on December 26th 1606."

William Shakespeare (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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Little Eyolf

"Henrik Ibsen's 1894 play Little Eyolf tells the story of the Allmers family: the father, Alfred, his wife Rita, their crippled nine-year-old son Eyolf, and Alfred's sister Asta. As the play begins, Alfred has just gotten back from a trip to the mountains, and resolves to spend more time with his son, rather than on intellectual pursuits. Asta is romantically pursued by Borgheim, an engineer, while the cracks in Alfred and Rita's marriage gradually reveal themselves. The family receives a visit from the Rat-Wife, and are never the same again. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)"

Henrik Ibsen (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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[Italian] - La Locandiera

"La locandiera è una commedia scritta da Carlo Goldoni nel 1751. La storia si incentra sulle vicende di Mirandolina, un'attraente e astuta giovane donna che gestisce a Firenze, con l'aiuto del suo cameriere Fabrizio, una locanda ereditata dal padre. (Riassunto di Wikipedia) Personaggi: Il Cavaliere di Ripafratta - Filippo Gioachin Il Marchese di Forlipopoli - Roberto Cofini Il Conte d'Albafiorita - Algy Pug Mirandolina, locandiera - Dolcinea Ortensia, comica - piccolamimi Dejanira, comica - Maria Grazia Tundo Fabrizio, cameriere di locanda - Riccardo Fasol Servitore, del Cavaliere - River80 Servitore, del Conte - arcobaleno Narratore - arcobaleno Montaggio - Filippo Gioachin Effetti Sonori - Roberto Cofini"

Carlo Goldoni (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

Audiobook

Theatre & Radio Audiobooks in Literature