The result is that speaking habits that were acceptable in the last quarter of the 20th Century now seem overly formal and stagey to us today.

FORBES: Why You Need to Change Your Public Speaking Style

More stagey, less technically sophisticated than their contemporary counterparts, these period pieces feature names like Ian McKellen, Clive Swift, Diana Rigg and Prunella Scales in minor roles, and commanding performances from Richard Johnson as Antony and Othello (to a chilling Iago from the young Ian Holm).

ECONOMIST: Shakespeare on tape: Audio-Bard | The