This collection features stunning film adaptations of classic and contemporary plays from Sophocles and Shakespeare, to Oscar Wilde, Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, Bernard Shaw and contemporary writers, Michael Frayn and Joe Penhall. From stage to screen, star-studded casts and award-winning productions translate the words on the page to engaging films perfect for the classroom.

Available outside of the US, documentaries with BBC quality production take a look at larger than life figures like Arthur Miller, Samuel Beckett, and Shakespeare.

You can pair many of the films with other performances, playtexts and critical texts for teaching and learning, such as:

King Lear by William Shakespeare

Ian Holm stars in the title role of this award-winning film version of Richard Eyre’s National Theatre production. Pair with: The Arden Shakespeare King Lear playtext in the Core Collection; King Lear performance in the RSC Live collection; King Lear performance in the Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen 2 (2016-2018) collection; King Lear performance in the National Theatre Collection; Performing King Lear in the Critical Studies and Performance Practice collection.

Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall

An incendiary tale of race, madness, and struggle for power. This adaptation of Joe Penhall’s award-winning play retains the music, lighting, and sound team from the original stage production. Pair with: Blue/Orange audio play from L.A. Theatre Works; Buzz Buzz! Playwrights, Actors and Directors at the National Theatre in the Critical Studies and Performance Practice collection.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Juliet Stevenson, Trevor Eve, Geraldine James, Patrick Malahide, and David Calder star in this modern tragedy. Pair with: A Doll’s House playtexts in three different translations in the Core Collection; A Doll’s House audio play in the L.A. Theatre Works collection; Ibsen in Practice in the Critical Studies and Performance Practice collection.

Copenhagen by Michael Frayn

A stylish screen adaptation of the award-winning play starring Stephen Rea, Daniel Craig, and Francesca Annis. Pair with: Copenhagen audio play from the L.A. Theatre Works collection; File On Frayn in the Critical Studies and Performance Practice collection.

Antigone by Sophocles

Translated by Don Taylor — this story of one sister’s loyalty to both her brothers is one of the most consistently popular plays in the history of drama. Pair with: Antigone playtexts in three different translations in the Core Collection and Nick Hern Books collection; Antigone performance in the National Theatre Collection; Antigone audio play in the L.A. Theatre Works collection; Contemporary Adaptations of Greek Tragedy from the Critical Studies and Performance Practice collection.