That Time The Beatles Performed Shakespeare, 1964

In April of 1964, just a month after their famous debut on the Ed Sullivan show, The Beatles followed it up with a sketch from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream as part of a one-hour Beatles television special. Britain, at the time, was celebrating the poet’s 400th birthday. One of the strangest performances the group ever made, that’s for sure.

The Beatles Perform Shakespeare, 1964 (1)

The Beatles Perform Shakespeare, 1964 (2)

The Beatles Perform Shakespeare, 1964 (2)

The Beatles Perform Shakespeare, 1964 (3)

The Beatles Perform Shakespeare, 1964 (4)

The Beatles Perform Shakespeare, 1964 (1)