Podcasts and recordings
Explore Shakespeare and his world with our podcasts and recordings.
Shakespeare Unlimited
When British radio listeners voted William Shakespeare their “British Person of the Millennium,” the honor was entirely understandable. Shakespeare and his works are woven throughout not only English-speaking culture, but global culture. As you’ll hear in this podcast, Shakespeare turns up in the most interesting places—not just literature and the stage, but science and social history as well. Join us for this “no limits” podcast tour of the fascinating and varied connections between Shakespeare, his works, and the world around us.
Find Shakespeare Unlimited on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Recent episodes
Eddie Izzard on Performing Hamlet Solo
Legendary comedian and actor Eddie Izzard tells us about her one-actor performance of Hamlet.
Shakespeare and Disgust, with Bradley J. Irish
Bradley J. Irish explains why disgust is one of the key thematic emotions in Shakespeare’s works.
Rita Dove on Shakespeare and Her Poem of Welcome for the Folger
Poet Rita Dove tells us about how she wrote her poem of welcome for the Folger’s west garden. Plus, we discuss how she discovered Shakespeare… and the snack that goes best with each of his plays.
David and Ben Crystal Share Shakespeare Quotations for Everyday Life
Ben and David Crystal’s new book offers daily Shakespeare quotes you can apply to your everyday existence.
What Happened to the Princes in the Tower, with Philippa Langley
Philippa Langley’s new book explores evidence that Richard III was framed for the murder of his nephews.
Will Somer: Peter Andersson on Henry VIII's Court Fool
Peter K. Andersson’s new biography profiles a famous fool.
Isabelle Schuler on Lady Macbeth and Queen Hereafter
Isabelle Schuler tells us about her new novel, Queen Hereafter.
400 Years of Shakespeare's First Folio, with Emma Smith
Emma Smith of Oxford University tells us what the First Folio has been up to since it was published 400 years ago.
Shakespeare and the Bloomsbury Group, with Marjorie Garber
Marjorie Garber explores Shakespeare’s influence on Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group.
Patrick Stewart on a Life Shaped by Shakespeare
We talk to Sir Patrick Stewart about his Yorkshire youth, auditioning for the RSC, and his most famous roles on the stage and screen.
More Podcasts and Recordings
Shakespeare in American Life
Explore Shakespeare’s influence on American performance, politics, and popular culture in this radio documentary narrated by Sam Waterston.
The Folger Shakespeare Audio Editions
Listen to full-cast dramatizations of the unabridged texts of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, available from Simon & Schuster Audio.
Shakespeare's Birthday Lectures
Every year, the Folger celebrates Shakespeare birthday with a public lecture from a Shakespearean. Listen to recordings of recent talks from scholars including Julia Reinhard Lupton, Wendy Wall, Jonathan Bate, Stephen Greenblatt, and others.
Shakespeare Anniversary Lecture Series
In 2016, the Folger Institute’s Center for Shakespeare Studies commemorated the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with a series of public lectures. Listen to talks by Michael Witmore, Tiffany Stern, Kim Hall, and others.
Men of Letters: Shakespeare's Influence on Abraham Lincoln
Three books sat on Abraham Lincoln’s White House desk. One of them was the works of Shakespeare—a writer Lincoln cherished throughout his life. Learn about Shakespeare’s enduring influence on Lincoln and on Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, as well as why Shakespeare continues to occupy a special place in the hearts of political leaders.
'Now Thrive the Armorers": Arms and Armor in Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s plays dramatize a military culture in transition, as Richard II’s knights on horseback give way to Othello’s career army men. Featuring Jeffrey Forgeng of the Higgins Armory Museum and Barbara Mowat, Co-Editor of The Folger Shakespeare.
Line by Line
Listen to select recordings from the Folger’s archive of poetry readings.
Lend me your ears.
–Julius Caesar, 3.2