King John

Synopsis
A video recording, using a single, fixed camera, of the 1988 Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of King John. Directed by Deborah Warner with Nicholas Woodeson as King John and Ralph Fiennes as Louis the Dauphin.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
6 Jun 1989
Duration
180 mins

Credits

Director
Deborah Warner
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Guy Woolfenden
Production Design
Sue Blane
Cast
Nicholas WoodestonKing John
David MorriseyPhilip the Bastard
Susan EngelLady Constance
Robert DemegerHubert
Nehme FadlallahArthur, Duke of Brittaine
Caroline HardingMessenger
Cherry MorrisQueen Eleanor
Cissy CollinsLady Faulconbridge
David LyonKing Philip of France
Edward HarbourEarl of Salisbury
Jack JamesPrince Henry
Jack JamesRobert Faulconbridge
Julian CurryCardinal Pandulph
Patrick RobinsonMelun
Ralph FiennesLouis the Dauphin
Richard BremmerEarl of Pembroke
Roger WatkinsExecutioner
Roger WatkinsChâtillon
Roger WatkinsPeter de Pomfret
Simon DormandyLord Bigot
Simon DormandyLimoges, Duke of Austria

Additional Details

Theatre
Pit, Barbican
Theatre company
Royal Shakespeare Company
Production type
Stage Recordings
Historical period
1980s
Plays
King John
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

General
`The appearance is timeless-modern, the clothes spattered and well used, greatcoats thrown hastily over civilian trousers and City shirts as though the wearers had been surprised by sudden civil war. On a square space bare but for a steel siege - ladders and plain chairs, Warner draws an ensemble performance of great consistency." Michael Ratcliffe, The Observer (15 May 1988). Productions of the play have been few in the latter half of the twentieth century but Deborah Warner’s production was met with, and retained , great critical acclaim.
History
Press night at The Other Place 10 May 1988; Press night at The Pit (from which the RSC recording is made) 2 February 1989.
Stills
Stills from, and design notes on, the production are available on the Arts and Humanities Performing Arts Data Service (AHDS) at http://ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/collections/designing-shakespeare.htm
Reviews
Wardle, Irving The Times (London) 4 May 1989. p. 19

Production Company

Name

Royal Shakespeare Company

Web
https://www.rsc.org.uk External site opens in new window
Address
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Waterside
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
CV37 6BB

Archive

Name

Shakespeare Birthplace Collections

Email
collections@shakespeare.org.uk
Web
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/collections/ External site opens in new window
Address
Shakespeare Centre
Henley Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6QW

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "King John". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av38142 (Accessed 26 Nov 2024)