Englishman Abroad, An

Synopsis
Made-for-television film. Acclaimed recreation of the meeting between actress Coral Browne and British spy and defector Guy Burgess, in Moscow in 1958. The initial meeting took place in a theatre, where Browne (who plays herself) is appearing as Gertrude in a Shakespeare Memorial Theatre production of Hamlet. Includes two sequences from the play in performance: the introduction of Rosencrantz and Guildernstern (II ii) and Hamlet after the death of Polonious and the entrance of the King and Queen (II iv/IV i). If there are connections to be made between Burgess and Hamlet they are not made clear beyond Shakespeare perhaps signifying Britain and its culture for which Burgess felt a certain love and longing.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Transmission details
29 Nov 1983 (Channel: BBC1)
Duration
62 mins
Availability
Out of distribution

Credits

Director
John Schlesinger
Producer
Innes Lloyd
Cinematographer
Nat Crosby
Writer
Alan Bennett
Music
George Fenton
Cast
Mark Wing-DaveyHamlet
Charles GrayClaudius
Coral BrowneHerself (Gertrude)
Alan BatesGuy Burgess
Harold InnocentRosencrantz
Vernon DobtcheffGuildenstern

Additional Details

Theatre company
Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company
Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Elizabethan
Plays
Hamlet
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Awards
1984 BAFTA Awards - Best Actor (Alan Bates), Best Actress (Coral Browne), Best Costume Design (Amy Roberts), Best Design (Stuart Walker), Best Film Cameraman (Nat Crosby), Best Single Drama (John Schlesinger).

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Englishman Abroad, An". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av36454 (Accessed 06 Oct 2024)