Dark Lady of the Sonnets, The

Synopsis
Radio play about an imaginary adventure between William Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth. It was originally written in 1910 by George Bernard Shaw in aid of the scheme for a National Theatre. In the play the Man Shakespear [sic] goes to the palace to meet the Dark Lady to whom he addressed his sonnets of love, only to find instead the Queen herself taking a walk before retiring. He is so fascinated by her-- keeps writing down her bon mots-- that he does not notice the approach of the Dark Lady, who is furiously jealous and gives them both a drubbing in the dark. Both poet and Queen meet in agreement that man does not live by bread alone.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Radio
Transmission details
22 Apr 1938 at 21:35 (Channel: BBC National Programme)
Duration
40 mins

Credits

Producer
Peter Creswell
Writer
George Bernard Shaw
Contributor
George Bernard Shaw
Cast
George WoodbridgeBeefeater
Lena AshwellCloaked Lady
Mary HintonDark Lady
Robert DonatMan (Shakespeare)

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Elizabethan
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
biographies; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes
The copy of the original broadcast held at the British Library Sound Archive is incomplete.
The broadcast was repeated on 15 July 1938 with a different cast that included Marius Goring as Shakespeare, Lena Ashwell as Elizabeth and Mary Hinton as the Dark Lady.
General
The prologue to the play was specifically written for the broadcast. It was spoken by Shaw himself, who, as the Radio Times programme notes suggest, "happens to be the possessor of one of the most attractive of all microphone voices". (April 8, 1938, p. 5)
Textual information
The full text of Shaw’s The Dark Lady of the Sonnets is available online at the EServer Drama and Theatre website:
http://drama.eserver.org/plays/modern/dark-lady-of-the-sonnets/preface.html

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Archive

Name

British Library Sound Archive

Email
listening@bl.uk
Web
http://www.bl.uk/nsa External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7412 7676
Fax
020 7412 7441
Address
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Dark Lady of the Sonnets, The". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av37891 (Accessed 05 Dec 2024)