The Christopher Marlowe BBC Radio Drama Collection

Summary

The complete dramatic works of Christopher Marlowe, plus a brand new docudrama about his death

Christopher Marlowe was the most celebrated writer of his generation, surpassing even William Shakespeare during his lifetime. A playwright, poet, hellraiser, rebel and spy, he lived fast and died young, stabbed to death in a Deptford lodging house aged only 29. This definitive collection comprises all six of his groundbreaking plays, as well as a riveting documentary drama examining the mysterious circumstances around Marlowe's killing.

Dido, Queen of Carthage - Inspired by Virgil's Aenid, Marlowe's first play tells the tragic tale of the doomed love affair between the Carthaginian queen and the Trojan hero Aeneas. Starring Sally Dexter and Timothy Walker.

Tamburlaine - Said to have changed the course of British theatre through its pioneering use of blank verse, this classic drama about the rise to tyrannical power of a Scythian shepherd stars Con O'Neill, Oliver Ford Davies and Kenneth Cranham.

The Jew of Malta - When Barabas the Jew has his assets stripped by Christians, he wreaks a terrible revenge... Ian MacDiarmid stars in this savage 'comic' tragedy of intrigue, murder and love.

Doctor Faustus - A German scholar sells his soul to the Devil in return for 24 years of knowledge and power on Earth. Starring Paterson Joseph, Ray Fearon and Toby Jones.

Edward the Second - Obsessed with his lover, Gaveston, a weak monarch pays the ultimate price for choosing passion over political responsibility. Toby Jones stars as the titular king.

The Massacre at Paris - Marlowe's final play, based on the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre of the Huguenots in Paris in 1572, is a shocking portrayal of the grisly consequences of political and religious strife. Starring John Webb, Timothy Walker and Jeremy Blake.

The Reckoning - Adapted from Charles Nicholl's award-winning investigative biography, this gripping true crime drama explores the events behind the murder of Christopher Marlowe, revealing an extraordinary story of espionage, treason and betrayal.

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