Synopsis

Radio production of the play adapted and produced by Barbara Burnham. With Leslie Howard in the title role.

Series

World Theatre

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Radio

Transmission details

2 Jan 1938 at 21:05 (Channel: BBC Regional Programme)

Duration

115 mins

Availability

No copy extant

Credits

Producer

Barbara Burnham

Writer

William Shakespeare

Adaptor for Radio

Barbara Burnham

Cast

Leslie Howard	Hamlet
Basil Radford	Claudius
Olga Lindo	Gertrude
Bromley Davenport	Polonius
Hermione Hannen	Ophelia
Alec Clunes	Laertes
Anthony Quayle	Rosencrantz
David King-Wood	Marcellus
Ernest Jay	Gravedigger (1)
Francis de Wolff	Fortinbras
Freda Jackson	Player (2)
Geoffrey Wincott	Guildenstern
Geoffrey Wincott	Barnardo
John Abbott	Priest
John Abbott	Ghost
John Glyn-Jones	Player (1)
John Glyn-Jones	Gravedigger (2)
Richard Watson	Francisco
Richard Watson	Captain
William Devlin	Horatio

Additional Details

Production type

Television and Radio Drama

Plays

Hamlet

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes

The production was criticised for ‘faulty cutting’ , especially for the omission of single lines in important speeches, such as Polonius tragical-historical speech. The listener’s criticism and the producer’s response can be found in Radio Times, 21 January 1938, p. 9.

History

Fourth play to be broadcast in the BBC ‘World Theatre’ series.

Textual information

A written transcript of the production is being held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.

Reviews

An interview with Leslie Howard in Radio Times, 31 December 1937, p. 7.

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)