Audiobooks narrated by David Shears

Shakespeare’s history plays fall into two categories: political dramas and propagandistic pageants. The second category is comprised of the two plays in this presentation, Henry V and Henry VIII. These two plays have many elements in common. An underlying theme is the necessity and glory of government by sovereign royalty. Each play is presented by a chorus, who defines the action and intent of the drama. Rather than a continuous narrative the action is depicted in a series of tableaux, each of which seeks to illustrate a positive aspect of the monarch’s character. In each play an early part of the action involves the detection of treason and the punishment of the malefactors, presented as examples of the king’s shrewdness and rigorous sense of justice. Henry V, originally titled The Life of Henry the Fifth, tells the story of the king’s successful incursion into France to regain control of the territories claimed by the English crown, and his consolidation of his position by marrying the daughter of the King of France. Despite its references to the horror of military conflict, the mood of the play is generally bright and upbeat, although in the final speech the Chorus warns that much of this glory will be lost under the rule of Henry VI. Henry VIII, first published as The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth, was a joint production by Shakespeare and John Fletcher. It appears to have been written in 1612–1613. During a production of the play at the Globe Theatre in 1613, a cannon was discharged, resulting in a fire which burned the building to the ground. The action of Henry VIII focuses on three major events: The allegation of treason against the Duke of Buckingham, and his subsequent conviction and execution; Henry’s concern over the failure of his wife Katharine of Aragon to produce a male heir, his desire to divorce her and to marry the much younger Anne Bullen (Boleyn); and the birth of Anne’s child, the future Queen Elizabeth I. All references to Anne Bullen’s fall from grace and execution and to Henry’s subsequent marriages are strictly avoided. Henry is presented as a thoughtful and capable sovereign, somewhat overbearing, but genuinely troubled by the thought that his marriage to Katharine may have been canonically improper. Featuring Blaise Doran as Henry V and Josh Innerst as Henry VIII. Audio edited by Denis Daly

William Shakespeare (Author), Alan Weyman, Blaise Doran, Christopher Dukes, David Shears, Denis Daly, Geraint Pickard, Gregory Dwyer, Josh Innerst, Laura E. Richcreek, Linda Barrans, P. J. Morgan, Shane Emmett, Tim Dehn, a full cast (Narrator)

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Eight Shakespeare Comedies

This collection contains eight of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies. Each exhibits the vigour, humour, and optimism of the young master before he turned to the gloom and bitterness of the great tragedies. Contents A Midsummer Night’s Dream All’s Well That Ends Well Twelfth Night Much Ado About Nothing The Comedy of Errors As You Like It Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice Featuring the voices of:Aisling Gray, Alan Weyman, Alexandra Lee Smith, Blaise Doran, Cate Barratt, Catherine Bilson, Claudia Anglade, Dara Brown, David Shears, Denis Daly, Emma Faye, Gary D. MacFadden, Graham Scott, John Burlinson, Josh Innerst, Kendra Murray, Laura Richcreek, Lillian Rachel, Linda Barrans, Mark Crowle-Groves, Marty Krz, PJ Morgan, Roberta Jackson, Ron Altman, Simon Paxton, Susan Iannucci, Tom Saer, and Trisha Rose. Texts kindly provided by playshakespeare.com Songs created and arranged by Alan Weyman and Marty Krz Audio edited by Denis Daly

William Shakespeare (Author), Aisling Gray, Alan Weyman, Alexandra Lee Smith, Blaise Doran, Cate Barratt, Catherine Bilson, Claudia Anglade, Dara Brown, David Shears, Denis Daly, Emma Faye, Gary MacFadden, Graham Scott, John Burlinson, Josh Innerst, Kendra Murray, Laura E. Richcreek, Lillian Rachel, Linda Barrans, Mark Crowle-Groves, Marty Krz, P. J. Morgan, PJ Morgan, Roberta Jackson, Ron Altman, Simon Paxton, Susan Iannucci, Tom Saer, Trisha Rose, a full cast (Narrator)

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Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure is one of darkest of Shakespeare’s comedies. Written in about 1603 and first performed in 1604, it immediately preceded the composition of the major tragedies Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Duke Vincentino, the ruler of Vienna, fears that under his mild sovereignty, the people may have become lazy and lax. He decides to “go over cover” in the disguise of a monk and appoint his deputy, Angelo, who is a reputed paragon of virtue, as temporary ruler. On assuming power, Angelo inaugurates draconian provisions regarding sexual propriety. One of the first victims of this new regime is young Claudio, who has impregnated his lover Juliet, and is accordingly sentenced to death. Claudio’s sister, Isabella, who is preparing to enter religious life, is encouraged to approach Angelo and plead for her brother’s life. Angelo is immediately smitten with the beautiful Isabella and makes her an offer: her brother will be spared if she yields to Angelo’s sexual advances. Isabella indignantly rejects this proposal, but finds herself unable to reveal Angelo’s hypocrisy publicly, as she fears her accusations will lack credence. Fortunately, the Duke, who has not left Vienna, befriends Isabella in his assumed role of friar, and hatches a plan to both save Claudio and to unmask Angelo. Featuring the voices of Denis Daly, Gary D. MacFadden, David Shears, Graham Scott, Josh Innerst, Kendra Murray, Blaise Doran, Simon Paxton, Roberta Jackson, Alexandra Lee Smith, and Alan Weyman. Audio edited by Denis Daly Tunes for songs provided by Alan Weyman. The text used for this performance was kindly provided by playshakespeare.com.

William Shakespeare (Author), A Full Cast, Alan Weyman, Alexandra Lee Smith, Blaise Doran, David Shears, Denis Daly, Gary MacFadden, Gary Macfadden, Graham Scott, Josh Innerst, Kendra Murray, Roberta Jackson, Simon Paxton, a full cast (Narrator)

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The Comedy of Errors

Mistaken identity (which the Elizabethans called “Error”) is nearly always amusing, whether on the stage or in actual life. The Comedy of Errors is a play in which this situation is developed to the extreme of improbability – but we lose sight of this improbability in the roaring fun which results. Nowadays we should call a play of this type a farce, since most of the fun comes from situations which are improbable and the play depends on these for success, rather than on characterization or dialogue. Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors draws on a much older play, Menaechmi, written by the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 B.C.). A merchant of Syracuse has twin sons and buys twin servants for them. His wife, with one twin and one servant, is soon separated from him by a shipwreck, and comes to live in Ephesus. When grown, the other son and his slave start out to find their brothers, and the father, some years later, starts out in turn to find them. Once in Ephesus, an amusing series of errors begins. The wife takes the wrong twin for her husband, the master beats the wrong slave, the wrong son disowns his father, the twin at Ephesus is arrested instead of his brother, and the twin slave Dromio of Syracuse is claimed as a husband by a black kitchen girl of Ephesus. The situation gets more and more mixed, until at last the real identity of the strangers from Syracuse is established, and all ends happily. Featuring the voices of Susan Iannucci, Gary MacFadden, David Shears, Dara Brown, Blaise Doran, Aisling Gray, Claudia Anglade, Kendra Murray and P.J. Morgan

William Shakespeare (Author), A Full Cast, Aisling Gray, Blaise Doran, Claudia Anglade, Dara Brown, David Shears, Gary MacFadden, Gary Macfadden, Kendra Murray, P. J. Morgan, Pj Morgan, Susan Iannucci, a full cast (Narrator)

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Alls Well That Ends Well

This play is a dramatization of Boccaccio’s story of Gillette of Narbonne. Only the comic parts were of Shakespeare’s invention; he added the characters of the pusillanimous Parolles, the lofty courtier Lafew, the Clown Lavatch, and the long suffering Countess. He gave new depth and vitality to the leading characters, who are mere outlines in Boccaccio’s tale. The comedy has for its heroine a young woman who loves the haughty Bertram with an unrequited and despised passion, cures the King of France of a dangerous sickness, claims as her reward the right to choose a husband from among the courtiers, chooses Bertram, is repudiated by him, and, after a nocturnal meeting at which she takes the place of another woman whom he believes himself to have seduced, at last overcomes his resistance and is acknowledged as his wife. In Helena, Shakespeare drew a portrait of familiar type of loving and cruelly maltreated womanhood—the woman who suffers everything in inexhaustible tenderness and humility, and never falters in her love until in the end she wins the rebellious heart.

William Shakespeare (Author), A Full Cast, Aisling Gray, Claudia Anglade, David Shears, Denis Daly, Emma Faye, Gary MacFadden, Gary Macfadden, John Burlinson, Kendra Murray, Linda Barrans, Marty Krz, P. J. Morgan, Pj Morgan, a full cast (Narrator)

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Two Tragedies in One Act

Hamlet and Macbeth are two of Shakespeare's best-known plays and contain some of the most famous speeches in world literature. These one-act versions of the plays, which were edited by J. P Crabb, the details of whose life and other works have disappeared into obscurity, retain the significant monologues and dialogues while presenting a streamlined view of the action. Featuring the voices of Alan Weyman, Amanda Friday, Anna Grace, Blythe Melin, David Shears, Denis Daly, Graham Scott, Huw Brentnall, Jeff Moon, Lance Rasmussen, PJ Morgan, Rob Goll, Ron Altman, Sarah Bacaller, Senn Annis, Sydnee Fullmer and Tyler Hyrchuk. Production copyright 2020 is held by The Online Stage

William Shakespeare (Author), Alan Weyman, Amanda Friday, Anna Grace, Blythe Melin, David Shears, Denis Daly, Graham Scott, Huw Brentnall, Jeff Moon, Lance Rasmussen, Pj Morgan, Rob Goll, Ron Altman, Sarah Bacaller, Senn Annis, Shaina Summerville, Sydnee Fullmer, Tyler Hyrchuk (Narrator)

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How to Kiss a Debutante: Miracle Express

' Aletha Dewitt has led a charmed life. At least that is how it appears from the outside looking in. Yes, she has had everything a person could possibly desire—except real respect. She has more ideas and ambition than her brother will ever have, but the male members of her family are too archaic to notice. Nothing will stand in her way, not even love. Rafael, Conte Leone is traveling to attend the wedding of one of his closest friends. He never imagined he’d meet the woman of his dreams on a train, but he fully intends to do everything possible to win her heart. The stakes are high and he has no intention of losing... Convincing the lady they belong together might prove more difficult than he anticipated though. With Christmas around the corner miracles are possible and both Rafael and Aletha wonder if the real magic is love.

Dawn Brower (Author), Amanda Friday, David Shears, Patrick James, Rachel Woods (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by David Shears