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THE 78rpm GRAMOPHONE RECORDS

In 2004, a very dusty box full of 78rpm gramophone records was discovered under a pile of old theatre programmes in a Stratford-upon-Avon cellar. Experts immediately identified the discs as the long-lost recordings of Shakespeare's live performances at the Globe Theatre in London, issued as a limited-edition box-set in 1607 by the Elizabethan Recording Company.

In 2008 doubts were raised by some historians as to the authenticity of the discs, based on research that suggests that the gramophone record was not invented until several centuries after Shakespeare's death. Most scholarly opinion, however, still maintains that the records are genuine.

Following extensive audio restoration using the latest digital technology, the remastered and remixed recordings can now be heard in stereo for the first time. Along with the fascinating insight these recordings give us into Shakespeare's acting style and the roles played by him, it is interesting to note that even after fifteen years in London, Shakespeare still retains his native Warwickshire accent.

Above is an example of the Elizabethan Recording Company's label, used on all their 78rpm gramophone records at the beginning of the 17th century. The Company had exclusive rights to the Globe Theatre's live performances.