Shakespeare Uncovered

Both Shakespeare fans and newbies will find much to appreciate in this six-episode British series, as five actors and a director explore particular plays: Ethan Hawke discusses Macbeth, Joely Richardson Twelfth Night and As You Like It, Derek Jacobi Richard II, Jeremy Irons Henry IV and Henry V, David Tennant Hamlet, and Trevor Nunn The Tempest. The approach differs between hosts, with Hawke, for instance, taking on the air of a naïve student, Jacobi and Irons assuming more professorial stances, and Tennant coming across as a wry commentator. Excerpts from numerous films and TV performances serve as examples—many featuring the presenters or their relatives—with Irons as Henry IV, Jacobi starring as unfortunate king Richard II, Tennant as the brooding Danish prince Hamlet, and Richardson showing clips of her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, in scenes from various productions. Shakespeare Uncovered also features footage of rehearsals at the restored Globe Theatre in London, with Nunn contrasting the handmade stagecraft in the Globe for The Tempest with the flamboyant special effects of Julie Taymor's 2010 big-screen version. Scholars and other actors offer additional historical detail and personal recollections. Presenting an engaging and accessible introduction to several of the Bard's plays, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)