Clever? No? Okay. Well, I like it. I like a few other things, too, including the works of everybody’s favorite playwright, William “Billy” Shakespeare. A few years ago I received a degree in English Literature from the University of Connecticut and while I was there I took a course on Shakespeare, which was a wonderful learning experience. Unfortunately, I’ve gotten a bit away from the Bard after graduating. It’s hard to read Shakespeare, literally. Heh. Anyways, basically, I feel like I have to force myself to read some of his works and interact with them in all their various ways. And thus, Shakesp-Year.

Shakesp-Year will be 52 weeks long and will feature at least one post per week on some form of Shakespeare work. I hope to read some plays, maybe some alternate adaptations (Romeo and Juliet and Vampires, perhaps?), movies (both standard and more imaginatively adapted versions), filmed plays, audio versions, comic books (do those even exist?), whatever I can get my hands on. And I haven’t ever seen an actual stage version of any of his plays, so I hope to get to one of those as well. We’ll see what pops up in my area. Basically, if it’s got Shakespeare in it, on it, or around it, I’m there.

Partially, I’m going to need to rely upon you, my adoring audience, for some direction on where to go. What do you like? Who does the best Hamlet? The worst? I’m interested in everything, so lay it on me. Leave suggestions in the comments of this post (or any other upcoming Shakesp-Year posts). You’re an integral part of this process!

Penultimately, a few things I’m interested in watching/reading/listening to:

All’s Well That Ends Well

BBC Television Shakespeare version (1981)

As You Like It

BBC Television Shakespeare version (1978)

UK TV version (1963)

The Comedy of Errors

BBC Television Shakespeare version (1983)

Cymbeline

BBC Television Shakespeare version (1982)

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Musical version (2000)

Measure for Measure

Performance version (1995)

The Merchant of Venice

Play of the Month version (1972)

US version (1973)

US version (2004)

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Chimes at Midnight

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

US version (1935)

Royal Shakespeare Company version (1968)

The Animated Shakespeare version (1992)

US version (1999)

Much Ado About Nothing

UK version (1993)

ShakespeaRe-Told version (2005)

US version (2012/2013?)

The Taming of the Shrew

US version (1929)

US version (1967)

BBC Television Shakespeare version (1980)

Quantum Leap episode

Moonlighting episode

10 Things I Hate about You (1999)

ShakespeaRe-Told version (2005)

The Tempest

US version (2010)

Forbidden Planet

Twelfth Night

UK version (1996)

UK TV version (2003)

Antony and Cleopatra

1972 version

Coriolanus

BBC Television Shakespeare version (1984)

Hamlet

UK version (1941)

UK version (1996)

US version (2000)

The Bad Sleep Well

Strange Brew

The Lion King (rewatch)

Julius Caesar

US version (1953)

US version (1970)

King Lear

US TV version (1953)

New York Shakespeare Festival version (1974)

UK TV version (1983)

Royal National Theatre version (1997)

Ran

King Lear (1987)

Macbeth

US version (1948)

Roman Polanski version (rewatch)

Royal Shakepeare Company version (1978)

Scotland, PA (2001)

ShakespeaRe-Told (2005)

Othello

US version (1952)

Royal National Theatre version (1965)

Royal Shakespeare Company version (1990)

US version (1995)

O (rewatch)

Romeo and Juliet

US version (1936)

Italy version (1968)

Romeo+Juliet (rewatch)

Titus Andronicus

Titus (1999)

Henry IV Part 1

An Age of Kings (1960)

The Hollow Crown Henry IV, Part 1 (2012)

Henry IV Part 2

An Age of Kings (1960)

The Hollow Crown Henry IV, Part 2 (2012)

Henry V

UK version (1944)

An Age of Kings (1960)

UK version (1989)

The Hollow Crown Henry V (2012)

Henry VI Part 1

An Age of Kings (1960)

Henry VI Part 2

An Age of Kings (1960)

Henry VI Part 3

An Age of Kings (1960)

Richard II

UK (1997)

The Hollow Crown Richard II (2012)

Richard III

UK version (1955)

An Age of Kings (1960)

UK version (1995) (rewatch)

Looking for Richard (1996)

Other things

Shakespeare in Love

Doctor Who episode: The Shakespeare Code

Playing Shakespeare UK TV series

The Black Adder series 1

So, let me know what I missed in there. Those are strictly filmed versions. If you know of a written adaptation in any medium that’s good to read, let me know that, too.

Finally, I have two reviews of Shakespeare based movies on this site so far, so to quench your thirst until Shakesp-Year begins (I’m thinking the start of December), check out my reviews of Coriolanus and Throne of Blood.