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400 years of Shakespeare with Rufus Wainwright, Kim Cattrall, Dominic Cooke and William Leahy

Shakespeare died 400 years ago this week. John Wilson marks the anniversary with director Dominic Cooke, musician Rufus Wainwright, actor Kim Cattrall and Professor William Leahy.

William Shakespeare takes centre stage 400 years after his death. As The Hollow Crown returns to 大象传媒 One with the next series of the playwright's history plays, theatre director Dominic Cooke discusses his TV directorial debut making the series. The cast of Henry VI Parts I and II and Richard III include Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench and Hugh Bonneville.

Actor Kim Cattrall describes why she loves playing Cleopatra, as part of our series Shakespeare's People, in which celebrated actors choose the character they've enjoyed playing most.

Rufus Wainwright's new album Take All My Loves adapts nine of Shakespeare's sonnets into rock ballads, operatic pop songs and dramatic readings. The musician talks about his personal take on the playwright's poetic work.

Was Sir Henry Neville the real author of Shakespeare's works? A new book, Sir Henry Neville Was Shakespeare: The Evidence by John Casson and Professor William Rubinstein, provides fresh evidence supporting the claim. Professor William Leahy, Chair of the Shakespeare Authorship Trust, reviews the evidence.

Over the last two years, Ladi Emeruwa has played Hamlet in 197 different countries, travelling 180,000 miles in the process. He is one of a cast of 12 actors who have taken Shakespeare to all corners of the world from Bhutan to Belize and Cambodia to Cameroon. The tour reaches its climax this weekend when the final four performances take place at London's Globe theatre.

Presenter John Wilson
Producer Angie Nehring.

Available now

30 minutes

Clip

Chapters

  • Dominic Cooke

    Duration: 07:06

  • Rufus Wainwright

    Duration: 06:03

  • Shakespeare's People: Kim Cattrall

    Duration: 03:29

  • Neville vs Shakespeare

    Duration: 06:28

  • Ladi Emeruwa

    Duration: 04:18

Dominic Cooke

Dominic Cooke
The Hollow Crown begins on Monday 25 April on 大象传媒 Four at 11pm.聽

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Take All My Loves 9 Shakespeare Sonnets by Rufus Wainwright is released by聽Deutsche Grammophon.

Sir Henry Neville Was Shakespeare

Sir Henry Neville Was Shakespeare
Sir Henry Neville was Shakespeare: The Evidence is published by Amberley Publishing.聽

Globe to Globe Hamlet

Globe to Globe Hamlet

Ladi Emeruwa in


Main Image: Sarah Lee聽

Shakespeare's People: Kim Cattrall

Shakespeare's People: Kim Cattrall

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter John Wilson
Interviewed Guest Dominic Cooke
Interviewed Guest Kim Cattrall
Interviewed Guest Rufus Wainwright
Interviewed Guest William Leahy
Interviewed Guest Ladi Emeruwa
Producer Angie Nehring

Broadcast

  • Fri 22 Apr 2016 19:15

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