In "Julius Caesar," Brutus upholds liberty against tyranny. But what is tyranny? Presenter Brian Cox examines how William Shakespeare's play challenges all political systems and all definitions of tyranny, challenging us to wonder how well we even know ourselves.

Experience Alexander Ekman´s exceptional ballet, A Midsummer Night´s Dream, created for the Royal Swedish Ballet with a score by award-winning Mikael Karlsson. This contemporary ballet explores the energy and the mysteries of the summer solstice night in the Scandinavian tradition. The program also features experimental pop singer Anna von Hausswolff, acclaimed percussionist Niklas Brommare, and the classical string quartet Dahlkvistkvartetten.

Ian McKellen gives an awe-inspiring portrayal of Iago in this unique production of Shakespeare's Othello. McKellen, opera singer Willard White in the title role, and the rest of the cast have all been cited for their sterling performances. Based on the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage performance in Stratford, the film was presented by the BBC. The quality of this production reveals why director Trevor Nunn, the theatre phenomenon whose resume includes...

Journalist Jilly Cooper presents a personal view of the play The Merry Wives of Windsor, which she regards as "a sort of Elizabethan Mrs. Dale 's Diary."

Michael Wood presents a personal view of Henry VI Part III. He traces the background to the play, which ends with the deposition and death of the king.

War is the inevitable result when the King of France demands that John relinquish his crown in favour of his nephew, the young Prince Arthur. Excommunication, attempted atrocity, rebellion and assassination all contribute to a political and personal turmoil that finds devastating expression in an anguished mother’s grief for her son. An HD film based on the Stratford Festival’s 2014 production of King John.

General Sir John Hackett gives an introduction to Shakespeare's Coriolanus, which portrays a soldier-hero who is destroyed by his unyielding pride.

An aging monarch resolves to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, with consequences he little expects. His reason shattered in the storm of violent emotion that ensues, with his very life hanging in the balance, Lear loses everything that has defined him as a king – and thereby discovers the essence of his own humanity. An HD film based on the Stratford Festival’s 2014 production of King Lear.

Penelope Mortimer, author of bestselling novel The Pumpkin Eater, offers her personal view of the "witty and pleasant comedy" The Taming of the Shrew, which celebrates the war between the sexes.

Comedian Roy Hudd illustrates some of the timeless gags and comic routines that sharpen this comedy of mistaken identities. From the Famous City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds, with Cyril Cusack, Roger Daltrey, Joanne Pearce and Michael Kitchen, among others.