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 AylmerShylock
Harry Clifford ScottAntonio
Eddie Peter WhaleyBassanio
Ben WeldenPortia
Ben WeldenDuke 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)