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Catching Life by the Throat written by Josephine Hart performed by Famous British Actors on CD (Abridged)

Catching Life by the Throat written by Josephine Hart performed by Famous British Actors on CD (Abridged)£4.99  -  £14.99

This audiobook is an anthology of poems by WH Auden, TS Eliot, Philip Larkin, Emily Dickinson, Marianne Moore, Rudyard Kipling, Sylvia Plath and W B Yeats, introduced by Josephine Hart and read by a cast of famous actors: Ralph Fiennes, Edward Fox, Ian McDiarmid, Helen McCrory, Sir Roger Moore, Harold Pinter, Elizabeth McGovern...


John Betjeman - A First Class Collection written by John Betjeman performed by John Betjeman on CD (Abridged)

John Betjeman - A First Class Collection written by John Betjeman performed by John Betjeman on CD (Abridged)£14.99  -  £19.99

Sir John Betjeman's unique relationship with the BBC left a lasting legacy of poetry, readings and performances. "A First Class Collection" features a selection of some of his most memorable and best-loved poetry.

Black Sheep written by Georgette Heyer performed by Barbara Leigh-Hunt on CD (Unabridged)

Black Sheep written by Georgette Heyer performed by Barbara Leigh-Hunt on CD (Unabridged)£34.99

Miss Abigail Wendover's efforts to detach her spirited niece Fanny from a plausible fortune-hunter are complicated by the arrival in Bath of Miles Caverleigh. The black sheep of his family, a cynical, outrageous care-for-naught with a scandalous past – that would be a connection more shocking even than Fanny's...


Murder on the Orient Express written by Agatha Christie performed by Andrew Sachs on CD (Abridged)

Murder on the Orient Express written by Agatha Christie performed by Andrew Sachs on CD (Abridged)£3.99  -  £9.99

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stopped the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train was surprisingly full for the time of the year. But by the morning there was one passenger fewer. An American lay dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.


Poirot's Early Cases written by Agatha Christie performed by David Suchet and Hugh Fraser on CD (Unabridged)

Poirot's Early Cases written by Agatha Christie performed by David Suchet and Hugh Fraser on CD (Unabridged)£14.99  -  £19.99

For the first time on CD the unabridged audio edition of the cases that made up Hercule Poirot's formative years as a detective. Read by the inimitable Hugh Fraser and David Suchet. Still in the formative years of his career, Hercule Poirot faces a most taxing case: who killed Lord Cronshaw? Was Coco Courtenay’s...


Saints of The Shadow Bible written by Ian Rankin performed by James Macpherson on Audio CD (Unabridged)

Saints of The Shadow Bible written by Ian Rankin performed by James Macpherson on Audio CD (Unabridged)£9.99  -  £19.99

Sunday Times number-one best seller Ian Rankin returns with his gripping new Rebus novel. Unabridged edition featuring a bonus interview with Ian Rankin and James MacPherson. Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder. A 30-year-old case is being reopened, and Rebus' team from back then is suspected of foul play. With Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer, are the past and present about to collide in a shocking and...


Rare
Sprig Muslin written by Georgette Heyer performed by Sian Phillips on CD (Unabridged)

Sprig Muslin written by Georgette Heyer performed by Sian Phillips on CD (Unabridged)£39.99

Finding so young and pretty a girl as Amanda wandering unattended, Sir Gareth Ludlow knows it is his duty as a man of honour to restore her to her family. But it is to prove no easy task for the Corinthian. His captive in spring muslin has more than her rapturous good looks and bandboxes to aid her - she is ...


The ABC Murders written by Agatha Christie performed by Hugh Fraser on CD (Abridged)

The ABC Murders written by Agatha Christie performed by Hugh Fraser on CD (Abridged)£4.99  -  £6.99

The murderer is also playing a game with Hercule Poirot, alerting him in advance to the locations of the murders. But each time Poirot arrives it is already too late. Intrigued by the psychopath’s mind and methodology Hercule Poirot...


The Moonstone written by Wilkie Collins performed by Peter Jeffrey on MP3 CD (Unabridged)

The Moonstone written by Wilkie Collins performed by Peter Jeffrey on MP3 CD (Unabridged)£29.99  -  £39.99

The Moonstone, a priceless Indian diamond which had been brought to England as spoils of war, is given to Rachel Verrinder on her eighteenth birthday. That very night, the stone is stolen. Suspicion then falls on a hunchbacked housemaid, on Rachel's cousin Franklin Blake, on a troupe of mysterious Indian jugglers, and on Rachel herself.


The Stranger written by Harlan Coben performed by Eric Meyers on CD (Unabridged)

The Stranger written by Harlan Coben performed by Eric Meyers on CD (Unabridged)£14.99

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world. Adam Price...

William Shakespeare

 

His Poetry and Plays!

 

After last year's 400 years celebration of the death of Shakespeare the world of Shakespeare recordings has continued to go the way of many other great audio productions. Audible/Amazon have, slowly, removed many of the greatest audio productions we at Brainfood Audiobooks have ever heard. 

In recent years we have been asked many times, we can only apologize for our laggardly response. For all those who have asked about this we can only say - You are the reason for the current update on this subject and also the reason for the current 20% discount available on all of our Shakespeare stock. Thank you!

We have struggled with how to present our thoughts on the great performances we have to offer. Re-listening to most of the recordings we currently have in stock over the last few months we have distilled all these experiences in to one overpowering thought....

 

PASSION

 

Let's be clear, all of the performances you will find for sale on Brainfood Audiobooks will be competent. We have to say we have, over the years, consigned to the Charity Shop box all of the performances that appear to have been made with little passion to recommend them. What we have left is the greatest performances that have ever been made, and recorded/sold, of the dramatic works of William Shakespeare.

The muse of fire lives in these works and has inspired some of the greatest thespians ever to have walked the stage to perhaps their greatest heights.

The plays we have concentrated have been selected on the greatness of the performances.

From that point of view we will now begin with, without doubt the greatest performance of a Shakespeare play we have ever heard. To make this clear - this recording is played at least once a month for the last 20 years and continues to be eagerly anticipated!

Due to the nature of this play we can honestly say that Robert Stephen's performance as Richard Duke of Gloucester is the single best performance we have ever heard. We do stock several performances of Richard III, a much under-rated play by the cognoscenti, but they all fail, some more than others, to achieve Robert Stephen's heights. There is real magic in this work. The irony of the image used on the cover of this recording, being a outline drawing of Lawrence Olivier's iconic performance in this role, foreshadows the extraordinary quality of the this performance. When we include the brilliant work of Peggy Ashcroft, Ian Holm, Jeremy Brett and Cyril Cusak this work always finds itself in the Brainfood Audiobooks Stamp of Genius.

 

 

What We Have to Offer

Many hundreds of books have been written about Shakespeare so I will reflect, briefly, on only the 100 recordings we have to offer.

 

Non-Fiction on Audio CD
Peter Ackroyd Shakespeare Biography

Shakespeare Non-Fiction

Almost all of the Non-Fiction recordings available have been published in the last 20 years and so are easily available on Audio CD.

 
 
Poetry on Cassette Plays on Cassette Poetry on Audio CD Plays on Audio CD
Shakespeare Poetry on Cassette Shakespeare Drama on Cassette Shakespeare Poetry on Audio CD Shakspeare Drama on Audio CD

 

Shakespeare Poetry and Plays

The same can not be said of the poetry and plays. Many of these recordings are over 50 years old and are found mainly on Cassette. So the first major decision required when looking at the works of the Bard is -

Is it worth digging out the cassette player? 

The answer is an undoubted YES!

One of our core principles is to offer an opportunity to find old recordings of works, which in many cases never made it to CD. So the next question is -

Are the recordings of some of the best Actors and Actresses of the 50's, 60's and 70's still worth listening to?

If you haven't heard these recordings then you haven't heard the recordings that inspired the current crop of actors who perform these works.If you haven't heard these recordings then the beautiful tones and wonderful audio flexibility developed by these actors over many years of work in Rep, something that has all but died out in the last 20 years, still awaits you.

Just a few of the many names to look for are - Lawrence Olivier, Robert Stephens, Peggy Ashcroft, John Gielgud, Paul Scofield, Vivien Leigh and Richard Burton

So, with your CD or cassette player at hand, it is time to choose from the marvelous selection we have to offer.

Wherever you look, you have a treat in store!