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About Tina Packer and the Sonnets: In conversation with Alison Larkin

Theatre Icon Tina Packer Final, Unfiltered Reflections on Shakespeare, Life and Love “The idea was simple. Tina would choose her favorite Shakespeare sonnets, then talk about how they related to her life and work. She was brilliant and inspiring right up to the end." —Alison Larkin

Tina Packer was an internationally renowned expert on Shakespeare and whose influence on actors worldwide reshaped how the Bard's work is performed and understood. Recorded just three weeks before she died, this final, fascinating interview is candid, far reaching and often deliciously funny, revealing Packer at her unfiltered best. At age 87, Packer brings extraordinary clarity, generosity, and wit to her reflections on a lifetime devoted to Shakespeare, theater, and the transformative power of language. The result is a compelling, unique listening experience—part masterclass, part memoir, part intimate chat—and wholly alive.

In a wide ranging conversation withAlison Larkin, Packer delves into a dozen of her favorite sonnets, offering historical context alongside personal insights that breathe fresh life into Shakespeare’s timeless themes, What begins as an exploration of sonnets expands into a rich conversation on love, mortality, leadership, creativity, and why Shakespeare still matters. This is essential listening for actors, directors, scholars, and anyone drawn to the questions of what it means to be human.