It is the 1930s, and a long and bloody civil war has divided the nation as two powerful families battle for the crown.

The end of the war comes suddenly when the reigning king and his heir are killed by the Commander-in-Chief of the York faction, Richard of Gloucester.

Richard's elder brother, Edward, takes the throne, establishing a shaky peace over the nation. But Richard, shunning the dreary calm of peacetime, turns his attention to a new, private war within the House of York.

Brother to a sickly king and Lord Protector to a vulnerable young heir, he sets in motion a murderous plot to divide his

family, eliminate his rivals and usurp the throne.

This is the gripping scenario for one of the most thrilling reworkings of Shakespeare's Richard III. The 1995 film, starring Ian McKellen, Annette Bening and Jim Broadbent, and directed by Richard Loncraine, is being shown by the BFI on one night only - next Thursday - to mark of the 400th Anniversary of the Bard's death.

The screening takes place at selected cinemas around the UK, including the Phoenix Picturehouse, in Jericho, Oxford.

The programme begins with a short documentary featuring McKellen and Loncraine reflecting on the filmmaking process and the continuing significance of Shakespeare's work.

Following a screening of the restored feature, a post film discussion between McKellen and Loncraine will be broadcast live from London's BFI Southbank _ and beamed to Oxford and elsewhere by satellite.

Audience members can submit questions.

The event is one of the highlights of the Shakespeare on Film programme; a series of events and screenings throughout 2016, led by the British Council, celebrating the lasting legacy of William Shakespeare, 400 years after his death.