Using the Verse
- Synopsis
- Television documentary series. A nine-part series in which John Barton, associate director with the Royal Shakespeare Company, works with RSC actors analysing how Shakespeare’s text works examining the use of verse and prose, set speeches and solilioquies, language and character. The later programmes concentrate on areas such as irony, ambiguity, passion and coolness. Episode 2: USING THE VERSE continues the discussion around heightened and naturalistic verse through an analysis of language and verse structure, defining blank verse, antithesis, short lines, end-stopping lines and dramatic pauses.
- Series
- Playing Shakespeare
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Television
- Technical information
- Colour / Sound
- Transmission details
- 5 Aug 1984 at 19:15 (Channel: Channel Four)
- Duration
- 60 mins
Credits
- Director
- John Carlow
- Producer
- Andrew Snell
- Contributor
- John Barton
- Cast
Alan Howard David Suchet Ian McKellen Jane Lapotaire Lisa Harrow Michael Williams Patrick Stewart Sheila Hancock Sinead Cusack
Additional Details
- Theatre company
- Royal Shakespeare Company
- Production type
- Documentary/Educational/News
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- acting; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Verse speaking; Workshops
- Related items
- Lessons in Reality, Just from ‘Playing Shakespeare’
Notes
- Notes
- In June 2009 all 9 parts of the series were released for sale in the US in a 4-disc DVD set by Athena, ISBN 1-59828-221-4. Price $79.99.
Playing Shakespeare by John Barton, with a foreword by Trevor Nunn, is published by Methuen 1984. The book complements the series and reproduces part of the discussions in the programmes with some editing and rewording.
Production Company
Archive
- Name
BFI National Archive
- Web
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
- Phone
- 020 7255 1444
- Fax
- 020 7436 0165
- Address
- 21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
- Name
Folger Shakespeare Library
- reference@folger.edu
- Web
- http://www.folger.edu External site opens in new window
- Phone
- (202) 544 4600
- Fax
- (202) 544 4623
- Address
- 201 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington
DC 20003
USA
Distributor
- Name
Athena
- customerservice@acornonline.com
- Web
- http://acornonline.com/ External site opens in new window
- Phone
- +651-351-3990
- Fax
- +651-351-3996
- Address
- c/o
Acorn Media
102 South Second Street
Stillwater
MN 55082
USA - Notes
- Athena is a label of Acorn Media.
Distributor (Sale)
- Name
ITN Source
- uksales@itnsource.com
- Web
- http://www.itnsource.com External site opens in new window
- Phone
- +44 (0) 207 430 4480
- Address
- 200 Grays Inn Road
London WC1X 8XZ
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Using the Verse". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av36738 (Accessed 31 Oct 2025)