Thirty years ago a promising young actor published his account of preparing for and playing the role of Richard III. Antony Sher's Year of the King has since become a classic of theatre literature. In 2014, Sher, now in his sixties, was cast as Falstaff in Gregory Doran's Royal Shakespeare Company production of the two parts of Henry IV. Both the production and Sher's Falstaff were acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, with Sher winning the Critics' Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance. Year of the Fat Knight is Antony Sher's account - splendidly supplemented by his own paintings and sketches - of researching, rehearsing and performing one of Shakespeare's best-known and most popular characters. He tells us how he had doubts about playing the part at all, how he sought to reconcile Falstaff's obesity, drunkenness, cowardice and charm, how he wrestled with the fat suit needed to bulk him up, and how he explored the complexities and contradictions of this comic yet often dangerous personality. On the way, Sher paints a uniquely close-up portrait of the RSC at work.Year of the Fat Knight is a terrific read, rich in humour and with a built-in tension as opening night draws relentlessly nearer. It also stands as a celebration of the craft of character acting. All in all, it is destined to rank with Year of the King as one of the most enduring accounts of the creation of a giant Shakespearean role. Praise for Year of the King: 'This is a most wonderfully authentic account of the experience of creating a performance' Sunday Times 'The most exciting actor of his generation and an eloquent writer on the side' Observer Praise for Sher's Falstaff: 'A magnificent, magnetic performance - Sher plays down the fatness to emphasise the knight's upper-class origins. But, just as you start to warm to this Falstaff, you are reminded of his rapacity' Guardian 'It is Sher's irrepressible Falstaff that will linger in the memory - a lord of misrule who's absurd, delightful and in the end deeply sad' Evening Standard

All eight episodes of the maritime adventure series based on the novels by C.S. Forester. Full of action, intrigue and romance, Horatio Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) battles against the sins of the sea and discovers the true relationship between the French, the English and the Irish. Episodes comprise: 'The Even Chance', 'The Examination for Lieutenant', 'The Duchess and the Devil', 'The Frogs and the Lobsters', 'Mutiny', 'Retribution', 'Loyalty' and 'Duty'.

William Shakespeare's historical plays performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2014. In 'Henry IV - Part I', King Henry IV (Jasper Britton) is troubled by the behaviour of his son and heir, Prince Hal (Alex Hassell), who has forsaken the Royal Court to waste his time in taverns with the likes of Sir John Falstaff (Antony Sher), an old, fat, jovial drunkard who captivates the young prince with his zest for life. In 'Henry IV - Part II', when Henry is confined to his bed with a serious illness it seems likely that Hal will shortly be appointed king. Hal's suitability for the role, however, concerns the present king even as his death approaches and Hal takes the decision to spend less time with his friends in preparation for the responsibilities of leadership. Falstaff, meanwhile, comes out of semi-retirement to raise a small militia. Now getting on in years, the rascal hopes his friendship with Hal will land him the comfortable retirement he seeks, but will Hal be true to his old allies when he finally puts on the crown?

Live performance of William Shakespeare's historical play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2014. When King Henry IV (Jasper Britton) is confined to his bed with a serious illness it seems likely that his son, Hal (Alex Hassell), will shortly be appointed king. Hal's suitability for the role, however, concerns the present king even as his death approaches and Hal takes the decision to spend less time with his friends in preparation for the responsibilities of leadership. Falstaff (Antony Sher), meanwhile, comes out of semi-retirement to raise a small militia. Now getting on in years, the rascal hopes his friendship with Hal will land him the comfortable retirement he seeks, but will Hal be true to his old allies when he finally puts on the crown?

Live performance of William Shakespeare's historical play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2014. King Henry (Jasper Britton) is troubled by the behaviour of his son and heir, Prince Hal (Alex Hassell), who has forsaken the Royal Court to waste his time in taverns with the likes of Sir John Falstaff (Antony Sher), an old, fat, jovial drunkard who captivates the young prince with his zest for life.

William Shakespeare's historical plays performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2014. In 'Henry IV - Part I', King Henry IV (Jasper Britton) is troubled by the behaviour of his son and heir, Prince Hal (Alex Hassell), who has forsaken the Royal Court to waste his time in taverns with the likes of Sir John Falstaff (Antony Sher), an old, fat, jovial drunkard who captivates the young prince with his zest for life. In 'Henry IV - Part II', when Henry is confined to his bed with a serious illness it seems likely that Hal will shortly be appointed king. Hal's suitability for the role, however, concerns the present king even as his death approaches and Hal takes the decision to spend less time with his friends in preparation for the responsibilities of leadership. Falstaff, meanwhile, comes out of semi-retirement to raise a small militia. Now getting on in years, the rascal hopes his friendship with Hal will land him the comfortable retirement he seeks, but will Hal be true to his old allies when he finally puts on the crown?

Christian Slater and Neve Campbell star alongside British comedians Harry Enfield, Rik Mayall, Bob Mortimer, Vic Reeves, Mackenzie Crook, Ronni Ancona and Sally Phillips in this comedy spoof about Winston Churchill. American movie moguls are producing a movie about World War II. Following the first day of shooting, an ambitious executive discovers that their 'lead' is an old guy with a cigar, so they decide to replace him with a far more sellable leading man: the star of their most recent film - the tactfully entitled 'PUMP!' Anthony Sher and Miranda Richardson make an appearance as Adolf Hitler and his fated lover, Eva Braun.

A remarkably candid autobiography, utterly involving and often startlingly revelatory, Antony Sher's Beside Myself is an inspiration to young actors and a treat for seasoned theatregoers. 'I wish I'd read this book when I was starting out. Not only is Antony Sher one of the all-time greats of classical theatre, he also manages to be a writer of enormous skill and insight' David Tennant Actor, author, artist Antony Sher grew up in the Old South Africa with a profound sense of being an outsider. Small, Jewish and secretly gay, he found refuge in theatre and escaped to London aged just nineteen. In Beside Myself, Sher takes us to the heart of what it is to be an actor today, describing the journeys he undertakes in order to inhabit the roles for which he is famous - including The History Man (his TV breakthrough), Macbeth, Tamburlaine, Cyrano, Stanley Spencer and Richard III. This edition, published to mark the author's 60th birthday, includes a new foreword and epilogue. 'The most unsparingly honest actor's autobiography I have ever read' Michael Billington, Guardian 'An extraordinary work of self-exploration' Irish Times 'A human, funny, nakedly direct memoir, beautifully written' Financial Times 'Fascinating... No praise can be too high' Sunday Times 'A masterclass. Any student or young actor could learn a great deal from studying Sher's extraordinarily thorough modus operandi' The Stage

An enthralling drama about the man who killed Hendrik Verwoerd, President of South Africa and the architect of South African apartheid. Written by the acclaimed actor and author of Year of the King. I.D. tells the true story of how Demetrios Tsafendas came to assassinate Verwoerd. Of mixed parentage, but classified as "White", Tsafendas is unable to marry the woman he loves because she is classified as "Coloured". Sickened by this injustice and goaded by his monstrous alter ego, Tsafendas stabs Verwoerd on the floor of the House in full view of his wife, his bodyguard and a chamber full of MPs. Antony Sher's play I.D. was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, in September 2003 with Sher in the role of Tsafendas. The play was inspired by the book A Mouthful of Glass by Henk van Woerden.