SHAKESPEARE

Synopsis

Comedy series. Prince George is worried about his popularity after an anarchist throws a bomb at him. He agrees to recite a brilliant speech by Blackadder, "to show the oppressed masses how unusually sensitive you are" and decides that he wants his two favourite actors - Mr David Keanrick and Mr Enoch Mossop - to coach him. In one scene the actors haughtily enter in the middle of a conversation. -
Mossop: ...lest you continue in your quotation, and mention the name of the Scottish play.
Keanrick: Oh-ho-ho... never fear, I shan’t do that.
Blackadder: By the Scottish play, I assume you mean Macbeth.
Mossop, Keanrick: Aaah!
[The actors launch into a bizarre "pattycake" routine while reciting...]
Mossop, Keanrick: "Hot potato, orchestra stalls, Puck will make amends."
[... and finish by tweaking each other’s noses.]
Mossop, Keanrick: Aaah!
Blackadder: What was that?
Keanrick: We were exorcising evil spirits. Being but a mere butler, you will not know the great theatre tradition that one does never speak the name of the Scottish play.
Blackadder: What, "Macbeth"?
Mossop, Keanrick: Aaah! "Hot potato, orchestra stalls, Puck will make amends." Aaah-haa!
[Transcript of dialogue from Wikipedia]]

And so on...

Series

Blackadder the Third

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Television

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Transmission details

8 Oct 1987 at 22:00 (Channel: BBC1)

Duration

30 mins

Credits

Director

Mandy Fletcher

Producer

John Lloyd

Writer

Ben Elton; Richard Curtis

Cast

Hugh Laurie	Prince George
Hugh Paddick	David Keanrick
Kenneth Connor	Enoch Mossop
Rowan Atkinson	Blackadder
Tony Robinson	Baldrick

Additional Details

Production type

Sitcoms/Variety

Plays

Macbeth

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

History

Series, 3, episode 4.

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

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Retail outlets