The full canon of Shakespeare’s plays performed and recorded by the Royal Shakespeare Company is now available to stream for the first time in one place on streaming service Marquee TV.
With the addition of the 2024 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring Matthew Baynton, all plays recorded live in Stratford are now available except Henry VIII, Pericles and The Two Noble Kinsmen which Shakespeare is believed to have written with collaborators.
Highlights include the 2013 production of Richard II with David Tennant, Paapa Essiedu’s performance as Hamlet in 2016, Christopher Eccleston’s 2018 debut with the company as Macbeth and the first use of live motion capture in a major classical production in The Tempest, with Simon Russell Beale as Prospero, from 2016.
RSC executive director Andrew Leveson and co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey said, “one of the RSC’s key missions is to bring people together to experience stories that deepen our understanding of ourselves, each other and the world around us. We want to redefine how Shakespeare and great storytelling connect us, create opportunities and bring joy.
“Launching this complete collection of 35 Shakespeare plays, filmed at the RSC between 2013 and 2024, allows us to reach even more people around the world, bearing testament to the enduring power of our house playwright and providing something for everyone, whether you’re a fan of thrilling human drama, witty comedy, soulful and reflective tragedy or escapist fantasy.”
The plays can be viewed at the Marquee TV web site. Subscriptions cost £8.99 a month or £89.99 for a year.