Shakespeare broadcast on the playwright’s birthday in Budapest

April 23 marks the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. On the occasion, Uránia National Film Theatre is showing Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, followed by a live broadcast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s celebratory event Shakespeare Live!, hirado.hu reports. 

Shakespeare, the most significant playwright of English language was born on April 23 in 1564, and died on the same day 400 years ago, in 1616. The Royal Shakespeare Company, based in Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, celebrates the playwright’s legacy with a spectacular event, showcasing the bard’s works and their various opera, ballet, musical and theatrical adaptations.

The Shakespeare Live! event was directed by Gregory Doran, artistic director of the RSC, and it features many famous actors, such as Benedict Cumberbatch, the Oscar-winning actresses Helen Mirren and Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Rory Kinnear and Joseph Fiennes. The Royal Ballet, the English National Opera, and musicians Rufus Wainwright and Gregory Porter will also perform. The event is hosted by Scottish actor David Tennant, who is most known for the TV show Doctor Who and his role in the Harry Potter films.

In the Central and Eastern European region the programme will be shown only in Hungary, as part of the British Council’s Shakespeare Lives initiative.

The Zeffirelli film Romeo and Juliet, also shown in many other Hungarian cities on April 23, starts at 6 pm in Uránia, followed by the gala event at 9 pm. More information on the events can be found here.

Photo: urania-nf.hu

Copy editor: bm

Source: hirado.hu