Series 2

A portrayal of Shakespeare's darkest villain Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and his unquenchable thirst for the throne.

Shakespeare's witty battle of the sexes is given a fresh airing in puppet animation. The unlikely bonding of a headstrong Kate and domineering Petruchio is only one aspect of a play about change and the magical transformations that theatre can produce.

This bright and comic tale is famed as the only play written by Shakespeare in which he is known to have appeared himself - playing Adam, the old retainer to the hero Orlando. The sunniest of his comedies, the play tells of a group of courtiers escaping to the Forest of Arden where they meet, philosophise and fall in love.

A compelling study of personal ambition versus the good of the state.

Exquisitely sculptured Russian puppets perform this powerful and enchanting story full of regal and rustic characters. A fit of temper has tragic results for King Leontes. Sixteen years later, the gods and humbler mortals intervene to craft a happy, magical ending.

In the last in the series, the playwright's most famous dramatic study of jealousy and its tragic effects are conveyed vividly in a striking drawn animation style. The warmth of the Mediterranean contrasts with the coldness in lago's heart as he turns his noble master, Othello, against the beautiful and innocent Desdemona.