Professor James Shapiro goes in search of the mysterious man behind The Duchess of Malfi, the son of a coachmaker who ended up rivalling Shakespeare. Show more
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Front Row
Adrian Lester on Undercover, National Poetry Competition, Victoria, James Shapiro
30 minutes
First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
Kirsty Lang talks to Adrian Lester who stars in Undercover, the new legal thriller on BBC One written by former barrister Peter Moffat. Show more
Free Thinking
Macbeth on Film, James Shapiro, Barrie Keeffe
45 minutes
First broadcast: on BBC Radio 3
Available for over a year
Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro on 1606, Matthew Sweet, Sonia Massai and Andrew Hilton on the new Macbeth film, and Barrie Keeffe on a revival of his 1977 play Barbarians. Show more
In 1606, Shakespeare was writing for a royal family hungry for new entertainment while the threats of plague, insurrection and rebellion threatened English society. Show more
King James's quest for the union of England and Scotland is not easily resolved. Show more
The impact of the Gunpowder Plot of late 1605 has implications not only for the monarchy and aristocracy but also for the work of contemporary playwrights, including Shakespeare. Show more
An outbreak of the plague threatens the livelihood of William Shakespeare when the theatres are closed. It also looms close to his home in London. Show more
The ferment in the country and King James's insistence on an oath of allegiance brings religious tensions to the fore in 1606. Show more
Front Row
James Shapiro, Ben Folds, Zareer Masani, Giacometti
30 minutes
First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 LW
Available for over a year
James Shapiro discusses Shakespeare, Ben Folds on his new album, Charlotte Mullins reviews Giacometti, and why Indian writers are protesting against 'intolerance of free speech'. Show more
The King & the Playwright: A Jacobean History
Episode 2: Equivocation
1 hour
First broadcast: on BBC FourLatest broadcast: on BBC Four HD
James Shapiro's series about Shakespeare in the reign of King James. It's 1606 and, in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, Macbeth captures the anxiety of the time. Show more
The King & the Playwright: A Jacobean History
Episode 3: Legacy
1 hour
First broadcast: on BBC FourLatest broadcast: on BBC Four HD
James Shapiro concludes his series by showing how late works like The Winter's Tale saw Shakespeare still experimenting and alert to the troubled Jacobean world around him. Show more
The King & the Playwright: A Jacobean History
Episode 1: Incertainties
1 hour
First broadcast: on BBC FourLatest broadcast: on BBC Four HD
Professor James Shapiro presents a three-part series about Shakespeare in the reign of King James. He begins in 1603 when a new dynasty came to power. Show more