Richard III
- Synopsis
- Last of a three-part televised adaptation of Shakespeare’s minor tetralogy (three parts of Henry VI and Richard III). Originally a Royal Shakespeare Company production directed by Peter Hall and John Barton, the four plays were condensed into three screenplays: Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III.
- Series
- Wars of the Roses, The
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Television
- Transmission details
- 22 Apr 1965 at 20:00 (Channel: BBC1)
- Duration
- 145 mins
Credits
- Director
- John Barton; Michael Hayes; Peter Hall; Robin Midgley
- Producer
- Michael Barry
- Writer
- William Shakespeare
- Music
- Guy Woolfenden
- Costume
- John Bury
- Art Direction
- John Bury
- Cast
Additional Details
- Theatre
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre
- Theatre company
- Royal Shakespeare Company
- Production type
- Television and Radio Drama
- Historical period
- Medieval
- Plays
- Richard III
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
- Related items
- Wars of the Roses Discussion
Notes
- Notes
- A written transcript of the series is being held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.
- General
- As reviewers noted, the production went beyond a mere recording of a stage play. Twelve cameras were used to record the performance of a cast of nearly seventy actors on a stage that had been extended to 40 feet to accommodate battle and crowd scenes. The intention was to give a sense of the impact of the stage production televisually. as the Times reviewer enthuses, the BBC directors managed a smooth transference, "changing their visual idiom yet not losing their integrity of meaning: a remarkable achievement".
- History
- Filming was done following the 1964 run of the plays at Stratford-upon-Avon, and took place in the theatre over eight weeks. The cycle was repeated in January and February 1966 when it was re-edited into eleven episodes of 50 minutes and given new titles such as The FEARFUL KING.
A five-minute programme introducing the plays was broadcast on BBC1 4 April 1965 22.05:22.10.
The trilogy was released on DVD in 2016 - see separate entry. - Figures
- Reaction Index 85 - the highest ever figure for a Shakespeare play (BBC Audience Research). The Reaction Index is a measurement of the quality and success of the programme with the audience who had watched it. It is based on a range of 0 to 100.)
- Textual information
- The text was adapted for screenplay by John Barton.
- Reviews
- "A Shakespearian Experience on TV", The Times, 21.4.1965, p. 13.
Alice V. Griffin, "Shakespeare Through the Camera’s Eye: IV", Shakespeare Quarterly 17 (1966): p. 385.
Production Company
- Name
BBC
- Notes
- The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
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
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Richard III". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av36993 (Accessed 19 Sep 2024)