Skip to main content

To download, or not to download: Ian McKellen’s new app teaches you Shakespeare

Shakespeare may be one of the most revered playwrights of all time, but some of his work sure is hard to read. Even Sir Ian McKellen thinks so. In fact, he suggests that reading Shakespeare is a task as meant for actors as reading music is for musicians.

That’s why he’s put together a new app, called Heuristic Shakespeare, which brings a number of famous British actors together to help you understand Shakespeare’s work a little better.

Recommended Videos

Currently, the only work available is The Tempest, but McKellen and Richard Loncraine, McKellen’s business partner, eventually hope to get all 37 of Shakespeare’s works up and running. Each play will be available as a standalone app. The Tempest costs $5.99. While it’s not certain that they’ll all cost that much, it would be a safe assumption to make.

The app is perfect for those studying Shakespeare’s work, and sits somewhere between seeing the play and reading it. The actors in the app look at the camera and say their lines, and as they do, text scrolls across the bottom of the screen. You can even take notes and highlight particular passages as you go.

If you want to go beyond simply learning the play itself, you can get additional information about the play, including previous productions, videos discussing the play’s themes, and so on. This additional content is offered in three levels, depending on how advanced you want to go.

McKellen has always been quick to adopt new trends — he launched his own blog way back in 1999, before blogging gained the popularity it has now.

You can get The Tempest from the App Store, and it currently seems as though the app is only available for iOS. There’s no word on an Android version. If you’re waiting for other Shakespeare plays, keep an eye on the Heuristic Shakespeare App Store page.

Check out this video for a look at what the app is all about.

Heuristic Shakespeare - The Tempest
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Updated Steam mobile app lets you download games from your phone
The Steam remote mobile app shows details for Control.

Valve has released the updated Steam mobile app on Android and iOS, revamped with improvements to its framework and user interface design. The new and improved app also comes with new features, including the ability to download Steam games remotely from your phone and log in with a QR code.

Introducing the updated Steam Mobile app

Read more
New App Store rule lets companies charge more for subscriptions without approval
The display of the iPhone 13 as seen from an angle.

Apple has altered the rules for App Store subscriptions, changing the way that some price increases will be handled when they renew. The company explained the new system in a message posted on its website on Monday evening.

Currently, if a recurring app or service subscription costs more than your previous payment when it comes to renewal, you have to opt in to accept the price hike in order to continue with the subscription. If you don’t give the nod to the new fee, then the subscription won’t renew.

Read more
Apple seems to have embarked on new purge of neglected apps
An Apple iPhone 13 Pro being held in a person's hand.

Apple appears to have embarked on a new round of purging apps from its App Store, specifically those that have been left untouched by developers for a long period of time

In a message sent to affected developers, Apple said: “This app has not been updated in a significant amount of time and is scheduled to be removed from sale in 30 days. No action is required for the app to remain available to users who have already downloaded the app.”

Read more