Audiobooks narrated by Geraint Pickard

"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)

Audiobook

Henry IV: Part 1 & Part 2

"This full cast presentation includes Part 1 and Part 2 of Shakespeare’s Henry IV. In 1598 appeared a Quarto with the following title: The History of Henrie the Fourth; With the Battell at Shrewsburie, betweene the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Henrie Hotspur of the North. With the humorous conceits of Sir John Falstaffe. At London. Printed by P. S. for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Churchyard, at the signe of the Angell. 1598. This was the First Part of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, which must have been written in 1597. This play is the first in which Shakespeare really demonstrated his great and overwhelming individuality. Its dramatic structure is fairly loose, though is closer knit and technically stronger than that of the Second Part. However, as a poetical creation, it is one of the great masterpieces of the world’s literature, at once heroic and burlesque, thrilling and side-splitting. Yet these contrasted elements are not brought into hard-and-fast rhetorical antithesis, but move and mingle with a natural freedom. The driving elements of the plot are the machinations of the guilt-ridden King Henry IV to establish the legitimacy of his accession and the inevitable revolt by the former supporters who helped him to gain the throne. One of the leaders of the opposing faction is the warlike Henry Percy, nicknamed Hotspur, who the king compares unfavourably with his own son, the self-indulgent and riotous Prince Hal. The prince spends much of his time cavorting with a group of boon companions, the most notable of which is the dissipated and unscrupulous knight, Sir John Falstaff, who acts as something of a surrogate parent. At the end of the First Part, the revolt is suppressed; in the conflict, Prince Hal reveals his true character as a doughty defender of the realm. In the Second Part, the king’s health progressively declines and Hal begins to assert his royal prerogative. Eventually, the king dies, and Hal, now having shed all his adolescent impertinence, ascends to the throne. Falstaff, in expectation of elevation to high office and new-found prosperity, publicly accosts the new king and is rudely rebuffed, together with his disreputable retinue. Audio edited by Denis Daly The text used for this performance was kindly provided by playshakespeare.com. Welsh dialogue and tune for Lady Mortimer’s song in Henry IV Part One provided by Noni Lewis."

William Shakespeare (Author), Alan Weyman, Blaise Doran, Christopher Dukes, Denis Daly, Geraint Pickard, Graham Scott, Gregory Dwyer, Josh Innerst, Laura E. Richcreek, Noni Lewis, Roberta Jackson, Rory Barnett, Sarah Jane Rose, Shane Emmett, Tim Dehn, a full cast (Narrator)

Audiobook

Under Milk Wood

"This is Under Milk Wood as you've never heard it before. The last completely original audio-only production of Thomas' masterpiece, Under Milk Wood, was in 1954 (two months after Thomas's death). It has been reprised countless times since then for stage, TV, and in book form, but this wholly new version, headed by Iwan Rheon as First Voice, keeps Thomas' original script but brings a bold, modern soundscape and authentic Welsh voices to his vivid storytelling. Mixed by The Audio Café in Wrexham, North Wales. The full cast of Under Milk Wood includes Iwan Rheon, with Heledd Gwynn, Tim Treloar, Gareth Pierce, Ruby Valentino, Betsan Llwyd, Eiry Thomas, Elena Valentine, Aneirin Hughes, Michael Grinter, Elsie Gallacher, Geraint Pickard, Lowri Gwynne, Bronwen Price. Dylan Thomas was born in 1914 in Swansea, Wales. Considered to be one of the greatest Welsh poets of all time, Thomas is largely known for his imaginative use of language and vivid imagery in his poems and radio plays."

Dylan Thomas (Author), Aneirin Hughes, Betsan Llwyd, Bronwen Price, Eiry Thomas, Elena Valentine, Elsie Gallacher, Gareth Pierce, Geraint Pickard, Heledd Gwynn, Iwan Rheon, Lowri Gwynne, Michael Grinter, Ruby Valentino, Tim Treloar (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Dylan Thomas Collection: Academic Introduction; Under Milk Wood; A Child's Christmas in Wales; Q

"The Dylan Thomas Collection includes modern recordings of some of Dylan Thomas' most iconic works, read by renowned Welsh actor, Iwan Rheon. In this collection you'll find the everlasting wonder of A Child's Christmas in Wales, lesser-known but no less beautiful stories The Peaches and Quite Early One Morning, six of his most famous poems, as-well as a brand new version of Under Milk Wood. The last completely original audio-only production of Thomas' masterpiece, Under Milk Wood, was in 1954 (two months after Thomas's death). It has been reprised countless times since then for stage, TV, and in book form, but this wholly new version, headed by Iwan Rheon as First Voice, keeps Thomas' original script but brings a bold, modern soundscape and authentic Welsh voices to his vivid storytelling. The full cast of Under Milk Wood includes Iwan Rheon, with Heledd Gwynn, Tim Treloar, Gareth Pierce, Ruby Valentino, Betsan Llwyd, Eiry Thomas, Elena Valentine, Aneirin Hughes, Michael Grinter, Elsie Gallacher, Geraint Pickard, Lowri Gwynne, Bronwen Price. Matt Addis reads Daniel Williams' Foreword. The works included in this collection are: - An Introduction from Daniel Williams, Professor of English Literature at Swansea University - Under Milk Wood, featuring Iwan Rheon as First Voice, Heledd Gwynn as Second Voice, and a cast of Welsh actors as the rest of the cast - A Child's Christmas in Wales - Quite Early One Morning - The Peaches - x6 Poems Dylan Thomas was born in 1914 in Swansea, Wales. Considered to be one of the greatest Welsh poets of all time, Thomas is largely known for his imaginative use of language and vivid imagery in his poems and radio plays. This audiobook is fully indexed. Once downloaded, each book and chapter will be listed so you can easily navigate to the individual section."

Dylan Thomas, Prof. Daniel Williams - introduction (Author), Aneirin Hughes, Betsan Llwyd, Bronwen Price, Eiry Thomas, Elena Valentine, Elsie Gallacher, Gareth Pierce, Geraint Pickard, Heledd Gwynn, Iwan Rheon, Lowri Gwynne, Michael Grinter, Ruby Valentino, Tim Treloar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Geraint Pickard