Tina Packer and The Sonnets in Conversation with Alison Larkin

“The idea was simple. Tina would choose her favorite Shakespeare sonnets, then I'd ask her questions 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. The result is a compelling, unique listening experience—part masterclass, part memoir, part intimate chat—and wholly alive. In a wide ranging conversation with Alison Larkin, Packer delves into a dozen of her favorite sonnets, offering historical context alongside personal insights that breathe fresh life into Shakespeare’s