Will Shakespeare

Synopsis
Radio adaptation of the play which was originally written for the stage by British playwright Clemence Dane (1888-1965). Arranged and directed by Robert Chignell, the production is produced by Val Gielgud. The plot links Shakespeare (Emlyn Williams) and the ‘Dark Lady’ of the sonnets with the mysterious death of Shakespeare’s fellow dramatist, Christopher Marlowe. In this production, Clemence Dane features as narrator.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Radio
Transmission details
24 Apr 1934 at 21:20 (Channel: BBC National Programme)
Duration
25 mins
Availability
No archive copy known.

Credits

Director
Robert Chignell
Producer
Val Gielgud
Writer
Clemence Dane
Music
Thomas Wood
Adaptor for Radio
Clemence Dane
Cast
Allan Cracroft 
Arthur Ayton 
Bertram Mills 
Clemence DaneNarrator
Elsie OtleyStreet Hawker
Emlyn WilliamsWilliam Shakespeare
Felix Baker 
Frederick LloydHenslowe
Haidee WrightQueen Elizabeth
Irene RookeMrs. Hathaway
Leslie PerrinsChristopher Marlowe
Lilian HarrisonAnne Hathaway
Margaret BlackwoodLady-in-Waiting
Percy RhodesA Man
Peter VokesA Boy
Philip WadeStage Hand
Philip WadeLandlord
Radley Gove 
Richard Wood 
Rosalinde FullerMary Fitton

Additional Details

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

Notes

General
Dane’s Will Shakespeare: An Invention in Four Acts, a play written in blank verse, was published in 1921.
History
Stage play premiered at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 17 November 1921. Initially, a scene from Act IV was broadcast on BBC London (5/9/1926). The play was subsequently produced for BBC Television on April 3,1938 (see separate entry).
Reviews
Listener Maisie E. Crook from Devizes comments on this production: "It was so beautifully and delicately acted ... that the great soul of Drama seemed to live upon the air" (Radio Times, 43:554, 11 May 1934, p. 421).

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Will Shakespeare". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av69574 (Accessed 25 Nov 2024)