Will's Book: Shakespeare's First Folio. (2024)

Overview

This fascinating film tells the story of the greatest rescue in cultural history: how in 1623, two former colleagues of William Shakespeare took on the task of saving The Bard’s work for posterity by collecting his plays into one incredible book. "First Folio" preserved 18 plays that had never been printed before, including "Macbeth,'""Twelfth Night," and "The Tempest." It was the first book to divide Shakespeare’s plays by genre: comedies, histories, and tragedies. Plus, its engraved portrait is thought to be one of the most authentic likenesses of the playwright in existence. Shakespearean scholar Emma Smith presents and reveals John Heminges and Henry Condell feared that when their friend died, his words might fade with him. Featuring performances from Mark Rylance, Stephen Fry, Roger Allam, and more.