Merchant of Venice, The

Alternative title
The Shakespeare Plays
Synopsis
Television production of the play with Gemma Jones as Portia and Warren Mitchell as Shylock.
Series
BBC Television Shakespeare
Language
English
Country
Great Britain; United States
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
15 May 1980
Transmission details
17 Dec 1980 at 20:10 (Channel: BBC2)
Duration
160 mins

Credits

Director
Jack Gold
Producer
Jonathan Miller
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Carl Davis
Costume
Raymond Hughes
Art Direction
Oliver Bayldon
Contributor
David Snodin
Cast
Warren MitchellShylock
John Franklyn-RobbinsAntonio
John NettlesBassanio
Gemma JonesPortia
Kenneth CranhamGratiano
Alan DavidSolanio
Arnold DiamondTubal
Daniel MitchellBalthazar
Douglas WilmerDuke of Venice
Enn ReitelLauncelot Gobbo
Joe GladwinOld Gobbo
John Rhys-DaviesSalerio
Leslee UdwinJessica
Marc ZuberPrince of Morocco
Peter GalePrince of Arragon
Richard AustinAntonio’s Servant (Servant)
Richard MorantLorenzo
Roger MartinLeonardo
Shaun ScottStephano
Susan JamesonNerissa

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Elizabethan
Plays
Merchant of Venice, The
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
drama in English; performances; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Measure for Measure
Merchant of Venice, The

Notes

Notes
The production is commercially available on DVD as part of the BBC TV SHAKESPEARE COLLECTION box set (see separate entry).
History
This production is part of the third season (producer: Jonathan Miller). Recording took a week.
Textual information
Between 1978 and 1986 the BBC published individual scripts of the series. Each volume of The BBC TV Shakespeare, ed. Peter Alexander et al. (London: British Broadcasting Corporation) contains the full text of the play (the Peter Alexander edition) with accompanying notes on the scene breaks and cuts made in the production, as well as a glossary. A general introduction to the play by series literary advisor John Wilders is followed by an essay on the production of the play by Henry Fenwick. This is based on interviews with actors, directors, and designers.
Reviews
Susan Willis, The BBC Shakespeare Plays: Making the Televised Canon (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991).

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Name

Time-Life Films Inc

Phone
0101 201 843 4545
Address
PO Box 644
NJ 07652
USA

Distributor

Name

Simply Media

Contact
Laura Smith
Email
info@simplymedia.tv
Web
http://www.simplymedia.tv/ External site opens in new window
Phone
0203 542 3722
Address
Highlight House
57 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SJ
Notes
Formerly known as DD Home Entertainment or DDHE

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Moviemail

Web
https://www.simplyhe.com/3000-moviemail External site opens in new window
Phone
0844 848 2000
Address
Simply Home Entertainment
PO Box 7741
Ringwood
BH24 9FA
UK
Notes
As of December 2016 the Moviemail web presence is incorporated within the Simply Media website

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Merchant of Venice, The". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/13924 (Accessed 06 Oct 2024)