With 110 hours of theatrical performances on 98 CDs, this is the first unabridged audio collection of William Shakespeare's 38 plays, produced by the world-renowned Arkangel Productions of London. Described by the New York Times as "a rhapsody of words, assembled for the ear" the canon is performed by a cast of nearly 400 actors, many of whom were classically trained at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based on the authoritative Complete Pelican Shakespeare and produced over a five-year period, the audio collection is the creative collaboration of Tom Treadwell, a leading Elizabethan scholar, and Clive Brill, who directed over 100 plays for BBC Radio. Each production was recorded as if it was a stage play and enhanced with musical scores and background sounds skillfully interwoven with the dialogue. The Bard's timeless plays--from Hamlet to his collaboration with John Fletcher on Two Noble Kinsman--are brought to life with the nuances of Elizabethan English translated for the modern ear. 6 3/4" H x 5" W x 16 3/4" D. (11 lbs.)