All's Well That Ends Well

A BBC Radio Shakespeare production

By: William Shakespeare

Narrated by: Carl Prekopp, Siân Phillips, Miriam Margolyes, Full Cast, Emma Fielding, Simon Russell Beale, Richard Griffiths

In this BBC full-cast production of All's Well That Ends Well, the trials of marriage are hilariously explored. Will Helena complete the Herculean tasks to win Bertram's love?

All's Well That Ends Well finds Helena rewarded for her ministries to the sick with the choice of any husband she wishes. Her choice, Bertram, is unwilling to have her as his wife and sets her a number of seemingly impossible tasks to complete before he will relent.

Starring Emma Fielding as Helena, Siân Phillips as the Countess and Miriam Margolyes as the Widow, with Richard Griffiths as the King, Simon Russell Beale as Parolles and Carl Prekopp as Bertram.

BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly-formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

In this acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the modern day.

© and (P)2003 BBC Worldwide Ltd

Brush Up Your Shakespeare!

Granted "All's Well" is not one of the more popular of Shakespeare's plays. There are too many quick reversals and some pretty unbelievable plot elements, but I have always had a fondness for it -- especially if done well. BBC does it well! All of Shakespeare is meant to be experienced this way. The cast is wonderful, the speech is clear, the timing is right on. This is truly the next best thing to seeing an excellent production. If reading Shakespeare is just too daunting a task and going to a live stage production is not an option, then the BBC radio programs are a perfect introduction. I see a lot of Shakespeare, but I still enjoyed this very much -- and such a bargain!