Prefaces to Shakespeare | Richard II
Richard II
Ian Richardson presents a personal view of King Richard II and the characters in the Shakespeare play. These talks were given as curtain raisers to the transmission of the BBC Television Shakespeare plays.
TweetLicence: ERA Licence required
- Type: Factual, Plays
- Channel: BBC Radio 4
- Duration: 23'30''
- Broadcast date: 1978
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
![BBC Logo](https://era.org.uk/app/themes/bm-era/images/bbc-logo-black-and-white.png)
More episodes from this series
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | A Midsummer Night's Dream
Prefaces to Shakespeare | A Midsummer Night's Dream
The actress, Frances De La Tour, who played Helena in Peter Brook's 1970 production for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, St...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | All's Well That Ends Well
Prefaces to Shakespeare | All's Well That Ends Well
A personal introduction to the play by actor Sebastian Shaw, who played the King of France in the 1967 Royal Shakespeare ...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Antony and Cleopatra
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Antony and Cleopatra
A personal introduction to the play by Barbara Jefford, who talks of her experience of playing Cleopatra in various production...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | As You Like It
Prefaces to Shakespeare | As You Like It
Janet Suzman gives the third of six talks introducing the first season of Shakespeare's plays on BBC2. "In most plays people are dif...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Coriolanus
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Coriolanus
Ian Hogg, who played the title role at Stratford ten years ago, presents his personal view of the play and the central character Coriola...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Cymbeline
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Cymbeline
Jeffery Dench, actor and an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, introduces the play and characters. "We have Imogen at th...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Hamlet
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Hamlet
Derek Jacobi, who played Hamlet in the BBC TV production, gives a personal introduction to the play. He examines the many interpretations of...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry IV Part I
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry IV Part I
Sir Michael Redgrave presents a personal view of Henry IV, Part 1, referring to Shakespeare's treatment of political loyalties. "I ...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry IV Part II
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry IV Part II
The actor Anthony Quayle gives his personal view of Henry IV Part 2 and introduces this winter's season of Shakespeare's plays on ...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry V
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry V
Robert Hardy, the actor and author, who has played Henry V and many other leading Shakespearean roles, presents a personal view of Henry V,...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry VI
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry VI
Actor Brewster Mason - who played Warwick in the RSC's 1963 version of the plays, The Wars of the Roses - gives a personal view of this ep...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry VIII
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Henry VIII
Donald Sinden presents a personal view of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, referring to the politics of the age, and problems posed to the acto...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Julius Caesar
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Julius Caesar
The actor Ronald Pickup gives his personal view of Julius Caesar with commercial extracts. "I've never believed that Shakespeare has ...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | King John
Prefaces to Shakespeare | King John
Emrys James, who played King John at Stratford in 1974, presents a personal view of the play. "The action is a see-saw struggle for powe...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | King Lear
Prefaces to Shakespeare | King Lear
The actor Tony Church, who played the role of Lear for the Royal Shakespeare Company In 1974-5, gives his personal view of the play and i...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Love's Labour's Lost
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Love's Labour's Lost
The actor Kenneth Branagh, who plays the King of Navarre in the RSC production at Stratford gives his personal view of Shakesp...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Macbeth
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Macbeth
A personal introduction to the play and its qualities by Sara Kestelman, who played Lady Macbeth in the 1983 Royal Shakespeare Company prod...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Measure for Measure
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Measure for Measure
Judi Dench presents a personal view of Measure For Measure, emphasising Shakespeare's depiction of characters as mixtures of go...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Much Ado About Nothing
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Much Ado About Nothing
Kenneth Haigh, who played Benedick in 1976, presents a personal view of the play Much Ado About Nothing. Two weeks into the ...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Othello
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Othello
Bob Peck, a highly acclaimed lago in the 1980 production by the Royal Shakespeare Company, gives a personal view of the play's qualities an...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Pericles
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Pericles
The actress Amanda Redman, who played the part of Marina in the BBC TV Shakespeare series, gives her personal view of Pericles, Prince of...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Richard II
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Richard II
Ian Richardson presents a personal view of King Richard II and the characters in the Shakespeare play. These talks were given as curtain...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Romeo and Juliet
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Romeo and Juliet
Dame Peggy Ashcroft presents her personal view of Romeo and Juliet, with archive and commercial extracts. There are references to ...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Comedy of Errors
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Comedy of Errors
The actor Roger Rees, who starred in Trevor Nunn's highly popular musical version of the play in 1977, gives a personal view o...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Merchant of Venice
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Merchant of Venice
A personal introduction to the play and its characters by Timothy West, who played Shylock in the 1980 Old Vic production of...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Merry Wives of Windsor
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Merry Wives of Windsor
Actress Prunella Scales, who plays the role of Mistress Page in the BBC TV Shakespeare series production, gives her pers...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Taming of the Shrew
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Taming of the Shrew
Paola Dionisotti gives her personal views of the play which she sees as an intricate weave of farce and wit shot with black...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Tempest
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Tempest
A personal introduction to The Tempest by actor Michael Hordern, who played Prospero in the BBC TV Shakespeare production. "I would wis...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Tragedy of Richard the Third
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Tragedy of Richard the Third
Edward Woodward, who recently played the title role of King Richard III in a much-praised production, gives his pe...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The actor Geoffrey Hutchings gives his personal view of Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Winter's Tale
Prefaces to Shakespeare | The Winter's Tale
A personal introduction to the play by the actress Anna Calder-Marshall, who played Hermione in the BBC TV Shakespeare production.
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Timon of Athens
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Timon of Athens
A personal introduction to the play by Richard Pasco, who played the title role for the 1980 Royal Shakespeare Company production a...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Titus Andronicus
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Titus Andronicus
The actor, Patrick Stewart, gives his personal view of Titus Andronicus and the difficulty of playing the character of Titus.
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Troilus and Cressida
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Troilus and Cressida
Norman Rodway, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, gives a personal view of this very 'modern' play which hovers betwee...
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/10/Shakespeare-Archive-Thumbnail-V5.png)
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Twelfth Night
Prefaces to Shakespeare | Twelfth Night
Dorothy Tutin, who played the part of Viola in Peter Hall's production at Stratford in 1958, presents a personal view of Twelfth Night.
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2024/03/Drama-on-3-Richard-II-400x230.jpg)
Drama on 3 | Richard II
William Shakespeare's study of deluded autocracy: when Richard II banishes Bolingbroke and confiscates his property, he begins a chain of events that bring about his own downfall.
![](https://era.org.uk/app/uploads/2021/04/p0373v5y-400x230.jpg)
An Age of Kings | Richard II
Part One of a fifteen-part BBC series comprising Shakespeare’s history plays from Richard II to Richard III (the two tetralogies). The first episode achieves a sustained and vigorous make-believe in an age of power, mystery and frailty of the Medieval crown.