Two Shakespearean Actors

Synopsis
Video recording of the play by Richard Nelson staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Nelson gives an account of the rivalry between two great 18th century actors, one quintessentially American (Edwin Forrest), the other quintessentially British (Macready). Nelson dramatises the events that led to New York’s Astor Place riots in May 1849 in which some 30 people died when competing productions of Macbeth drove an America First mob to break up Macready’s performance.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
1990

Credits

Director
Roger Michell
Writer
Richard Nelson
Music
Jeremy Sams
Production Design
Alex Byrne
Cast
John CarlisleWilliam C. Mcready (Macbeth)
Alfred BurkeFrederick Wemyss
Andrew HavillPeter Arnold
Anthony SkordiUnnamed parts
Arnold YarrowMr Blakely
Bill McGuirkMr Chippindale
Callum DixonUnnamed parts
Catherine WhiteMiss Helen Burton
Ciaran HindsDion Boucicault
Dominic MafhamUnnamed parts
George AntonThomas Fisher
George RaistrickTilton
Georgiana DacombeMiss Anne Holland
John BottWashington Irving
John WarnabyGeorge Bradshaw
Ken ShorterRobert Jones
Mary ChaterCatherine Forrest
Michael BottJohn Sefton
Michael GardinerCharles Clark
Paul JessonJohn Ryder
Penny JonesMrs Pope
Polly KempMiss Jane Bass
Rowena KingMiss Wemyss
Simon AustinUnnamed parts/Washington
Stephen CaseyUnnamed parts
Trevor MartinMr Scott
Vincent ReganJames Bridges
Yolanda VazquezAgnes Robertson

Additional Details

Theatre
Swan Theatre
Theatre company
Royal Shakespeare Company
Production type
Stage Recordings
Plays
Macbeth
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

History
Press night 4 September 1990
Reviews
Billington, Michael. The Guardian (6 September 1990),

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, "Two Shakespearean Actors". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av38154 (Accessed 26 Dec 2024)