News

Will on TNTShakespeare on TV: Will

Will, the new series on TNT, tells stories derived from what we often call Shakespeare’s “lost years”—the time before he made a name for himself as a writer. Listen to an interview with the writer and director.

The New Yorker illustration by Greg Clarke

Shakespeare & Xenophobia

Stephen Greenblatt, Harvard professor and author of the Shakespeare biography Will in the World, writes in The New Yorker about what The Merchant of Venice taught him about ethnic hatred.

 Claudius (Rod Gilfry) and Gertrude (Sarah Connolly) in Hamlet. Photo by Richard Hubert Smith.

Watch: Hamlet the Opera

A new Hamlet opera had its world premiere at England’s Glyndebourne Festival last month. Watch it online for free until 11:59pm Thu, Jul 13 (BST), which is 6:59pm EDT.

If We Were Villains cover

Off the Shelf: If We Were Villains

Before publishing this Shakespeare-inspired murder mystery, M.L. Rio spent the night in Hamlet’s castle for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

Oscar Isaac. Photo by Bryan Derballa for The New York Times

Oscar Isaac on Hamlet

The Star Wars actor plays Hamlet this summer at the Public Theater. In this New York Times interview, he shares how the play helped him grieve his mother’s death.


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Photo Credits: Olivia DeJonge and Laurie Davidson on TNT’s Will | The New Yorker illustration by Greg Clarke | Claudius (Rod Gilfry) and Gertrude (Sarah Connolly) in Hamlet. Photo by Richard Hubert Smith. | Oscar Isaac photo by Bryan Derballa for The New York Times

New TNT Shakespeare TV Show, Will

“Will tells the wild story of young William Shakespeare’s (Laurie Davidson) arrival onto the punk-rock theater scene in 16th century London — the seductive, violent world where his raw talent faced rioting audiences, religious fanatics and raucous side-shows. It’s a contemporary version of Shakespeare’s life, played to a modern soundtrack that exposes all his recklessness, lustful temptations and brilliance.” ~ TNT

Recreating The Globe Using… Shipping Containers?

The Container Globe has been proposed as a recreation of the original theatre, using shipping containers rather than wood.

Remains of Early Shakespeare Theatre Site Granted Heritage Status

The remains of the theatre where Shakespeare’s Hamlet may have been first performed has been granted legal protection by the government.

William Shakespeare’s Handwritten Plea for Refugees to Go Online

The last surviving play script handwritten by William Shakespeare is to be made available online by the British Library.