King John, William Shakespeare
King John, William Shakespeare
List: $14.95 | Sale: $10.47
Club: $7.47

Synopsis

King John of England is pitted against the united powers of France, Brittany, Austria, and the papacy. Will England be destroyed by his fatal indecision?As alliances are made, broken, and remade, the paranoid and erratic John reveals his weakness and reliance on those around him—including his powerful mother Queen Elinor and Faulconbridge, the cynical and witty bastard son of the dead King Richard I.In this early history play, King John is played by Michael Feast, the Bastard by Michael Maloney, and Constance by Eileen Atkins.

About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet and dramatist of the Elizabethan and early Jacobean period, is the most widely known author in all of English literature and often considered the greatest. He was an active member of a theater company for at least twenty years, during which time he wrote many great plays. Plays were not prized as literature at the time and Shakespeare was not widely read until the middle of the eighteenth century, when a great upsurge of interest in his works began that continues today.

About E.A. Copen

E. A. Copen lives deep in the deep dark woods outside one of the most haunted cities in Ohio. While working a boring retail job, she entertained herself with stories of the fantastic, some of which became books like Guilty by Association, Death Rites, and Broken Empire. She speaks three languages fluently: English, Latin, and sarcasm. E. A. is currently studying to become proficient in memes.

About Robert T. Kiyosaki

Robert Kiyosaki is best known as the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad―the #1 personal finance book of all time. He has challenged and changed the way tens of millions of people around the world think about money. He is an entrepreneur, educator, and investor who believes that each of us has the power to makes changes in our lives, take control of our financial future, and live the rich life we deserve. With perspectives on money and investing that often contradict conventional wisdom, Robert has earned an international reputation for straight talk, irreverence, and courage and has become a passionate and outspoken advocate for financial education.

About Michael Maloney

Michael Maloney is an actor who has appeared in numerous television productions, including as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Prince Hal in Henry IV, parts 1 and 2, for which he won Best Actor/Best Supporting Actor awards. His theater credits include Sleuth, Peer Gynt, and All My Sons, and his film credits include The Young Victoria and Notes on a Scandal. He has narrated numerous audiobooks, earning seven AudioFile Earphones Awards.

About Eileen Atkins

Eileen Atkins has played many leading roles in the theater, in both classical and contemporary plays. She won the Evening Standard Award as Best Actress for her performance in The Killing of Sister George. She has also appeared on television and in film, including in The Cranford Chronicles, Waking the Dead, David Copperfield, and Gosford Park.

About Bill Nighy

Bill Nighy is an award-winning British character actor who has appeared on stage and television as well as in film. His performance in the hit film Love Actually earned him a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. His other credits include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Shaun of the Dead, The Constant Gardener, Underworld, Valkyrie, and many more.

About Geoffrey Whitehead

Geoffrey Whitehead is regularly seen on British television and filling many roles on radio. He has appeared in a huge range of television, film, theater, and radio roles, mostly notably as Sherlock Holmes in the 1980 television series Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill

This is perhaps Shakespeare's worst play, and certainly the worst of the history plays. It has an interesting theme underlying all the conflicts--what are the legitimate sources of power and authority--but throughout the various struggles (between first-born illegitimate and second-born legitimate s......more

Goodreads review by leynes

King John is probably the history play I delved in the deepest (which means I read the whole introduction, most of the commentary and the appendix … can someone give me an award for turning into a scholar?) and so I'm able say it with my whole chest: John is a pathetic little ass. Let’s not kid ourse......more

Goodreads review by Bradley

I decided to work through the least memorable or least beloved plays while I'm working through the more beloved histories, and frankly, I don't think this one was bad at all. Sure, there's no Magna Carta, even though it would have been signed one year before the King's death, but as it has been said......more


Quotes

“Straightforward, noncontroversial interpretations…It pays off richly with less familiar works like King John, an early history that dramatizes the indecisive king’s attempt to settle an alliance with France. The chief merits of this production are Michael Maloney’s performance as the scheming bastard son of Richard I and the intrigues surrounding the death of young Arthur, claimant to the throne.” AudioFile