King Lear and Henry V: Michael Morpurgo’s Tales from Shakespeare

by Michael Morpurgo

Sir Michael Morpurgo retells two of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, King Lear and Henry V, in this stunning audio collection in association with the RSC, featuring readings by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Michael himself.

Translating these iconic plays into thrilling prose, the nation’s favourite storyteller preserves all the imaginative genius and spark of the originals, while bringing a contemporary and vibrant voice to their retelling. The stories are revealed in a fresh, exciting and entertaining way, providing both an entry point for child readers and a fascinating dialogue with the original texts that will intrigue any Shakespeare scholar.

Each tale, directed by Hal Chambers and Aaron Parsons, is introduced by Michael and includes incidental music composed by Phil James.

Look out for the other instalments of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbethand Hamlet, Twelfth Night and Taming of the Shrew, and The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.

Audible Audio

Published July 8, 2021

About the author

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.