Elsinore: Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth.: A BBC Radio 4 Drama

Elsinore is a prequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet set in an alternative Europe in the 1930s. It delves into the troubled relationship between King Hamlet and his brother Claudius, exploring themes of murder, betrayal, and totalitarianism. The drama is written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz and directed by Krystian Lupa.

Format: CD-Audio
Publication date: 03 May 2018
Publisher: BBC Worldwide Ltd

In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," how did Claudius become the man he is? What were the real reasons behind the murder of his brother? How does he really feel about his nephew?

These questions will be answered in this drama spiced with ghosts, pirates, magic, and political skulduggery.

Set in an alternative Europe in the 1930s, Elsinore is a prequel to Shakespeare's "Hamlet." This compelling new drama imagines the turbulence of the Danish court, in a world where Denmark is a powerful, militarized country with a small empire around the Baltic that it is fighting hard to maintain. There is more than a hint of totalitarianism in the air.

In this uneasy setting, Elsinore delves into the troubled, not to say murderous relationship between King Hamlet and his brother Claudius: one of the most interesting characters in the Shakespearean canon. Realism meets with moments of otherworldliness as the story unravels, taking in pirates and magic, rebellion and betrayal.

A dark, exciting drama that touches on the events and people in Shakespeare's play and brings us to the moment where "Hamlet" begins.

From the extraordinary imagination of Sebastian Baczkiewicz, writer of the successful "Pilgrim" series.

Duration: 3 hours approx.

Weight: 198g
Dimension: 128 x 142 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787530379
Edition number: Unabridged ed