Tragedy of King Richard II, The

Alternative title: Richard II
Synopsis: Television presentation of the Prospect Theatre Company’s production of the play. A thoughtful and successful attempt to transfer a popular stage production to the televison screen. Ian McKellen gives a highly sensitive and exciting performance as Richard. This is the first televised production of McKellen in a Shakespeare play.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Television
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Transmission details: 30 Jul 1970 at 21:00 (Channel: BBC2)
Duration: 125 mins

Director

Toby Robertson

Producer

Mark Shivas

Writer

William Shakespeare

Music

Benjamin Pierce Higgins

Costume

Juanita Waterson; Tim Goodchild

Art Direction

Tony Abbott

Cast

Ian McKellen	King Richard II
Lucy Fleming	Queen Isabel
Paul Hardwick	John of Gaunt
Timothy West	Bolingbroke
Charmian Eyre	Duchess of Gloucester
Andrew Crawford	Bishop of Carlisle
Charmian Eyre	Lady attending the Queen
Colin Fisher	Bushy
Colin Fisher	Gardener’s man (1)
David Calder	Groom of King Richard’s stable
David Calder	Lord Ross
David Nicholas	Servant to York
James Laurenson	Sir Piers Exton
Jeremy Nicholas	Gardener’s man (2)
John Cording	Servant to Exton
Luke Hardy	Bagot
Michael Godfrey	Gardener
Michael Godrey	Keeper of the prison at Pomfret
Michael Spice	Lord Willoughby
Myles Reithermann	Harry Percy
Peggy Thorpe-Bates	Duchess of York
Peter Bourne	Green
Peter Bourne	Abbot of Westminster
Richard Morant	Earl of Salisbury
Robert Eddison	Edmund of Langley, Duke of York
Stephen Greif	Thomas Mowbray
Stephen Greif	Captain of the Welsh army
Terence Wilton	Duke of Aumerle
Trevor Martin	Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland

Notes: The BBC Audience Research Viewing Panel Report noted a production that was ‘gripping, entertaining, moving and believable’.
General: The Prospect Theatre Company performed the play for the 1969 Edinburgh Festival. before a countrywide tour, accompaning the controversial production of Marlowe’s Edward II, which was broadcast the following week (6 August 1970) . McKellen played Edward. The stage production of Richard II was directed by Richard Cottrell. Television director, Toby Robertson, was closely involved with the stage productions of both Richard II and Edward II.
Figures: The play was watched by 5.8% of the BBC2 audience.

SHAKESPEARE