Shaking Up Shakespeare
- Synopsis
- Broadcast as part of a mixed variety radio programme, this appears to have been an all-male variety sketch based on Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Written by Con West, this item is presented by John Harding with Felix Aylmer as Shylock and the comic minstrel duo Scott and Whaley. The music is played by the BBC Theatre Orchestra with Fred Barmy as vocalist.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Radio
- Transmission details
- 1 Dec 1932 at 20:00 (Channel: BBC National Programme)
- Duration
- 60 mins
- Availability
- No copy extant
Credits
- Writer
- Con West
- Contributor
- John Harding
- Cast
Felix Aylmer Shylock Harry Clifford Scott Antonio Eddie Peter Whaley Bassanio Ben Welden Portia Ben Welden Duke of Venice
Additional Details
- Production type
- Sitcoms/Variety
- Plays
- Merchant of Venice, The
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); All-male casts; Black actors
Notes
- General
- Besides Paul Robeson, Eddie Peter Whaley was the only black actor to work for the BBC before the Second World War. Originally from Alabama, Whaley teamed up with blackface comedian Harry Clifford Scott as cross-talking double act ‘Cuthbert and Pussycat’. Invited to tour England in 1909 they stayed on to become nationally famous with their regular appearances in the popular BBC radio show KENTUCKY MINSTRELS. Inspired by their radio success, director John Baxter cast them as lead in his film of the same name. Accordingly, in 1934, they became the first black performers to star in a British film. For further information see Stephen Bourne, Black in the British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television, London: Continuum, 2005, pp. 2-4.
- Reviews
- Source: BBC Programme Records 1929-1932, The Times
Production Company
- Name
BBC
- Notes
- The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Shaking Up Shakespeare". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av70109 (Accessed 25 Nov 2024)