Midsummer Night’s Dream, A

Synopsis
Radio adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream produced by James Mageean. Scenes from the play are spoken in a dialect current in rural Ulster, especially in Tyrone. In his introduction to the broadcast, Reverend W. F. Marshall attempts to forestall the charge of "literary blasphemy" by arguing that the Tyrone pronunciation conforms closely to the word-sounds of Shakespeare’s own time, a time, as he points out, when such dialect was not "undignified" but standard.
Language
English (Ireland)
Country
Ireland
Medium
Radio
Recording date
25 Apr 1948
Transmission details
28 Apr 1948 at 21:15 (Channel: BBC)
Duration
45 mins
Availability
Unknown

Credits

Producer
J. R. Mageean; William Shakespeare
Contributor
W. F. Marshall
Cast
A. J. Shannon 
Ann Stannage 
Arthur Breen 
Arthur Kearney 
Cecil Anderson 
John Moss 
Kathleen Sheffield 
Patrick McAllinney 
Patrick Mossey 
Patrick Murray 
Wilson Guy 

Additional Details

Production type
Other
Plays
Midsummer Night’s Dream, A
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
dialects; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Elizabethan English

Notes

Notes
Broadcast on North Ireland Home Service.
General
Rehearsals: 23/4/1948-25/4/1948
Textual information
A written transcript of the production is held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.
Reviews
Source: Production Script (Ref.: S 338-1948 Q).

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Midsummer Night’s Dream, A". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av70446 (Accessed 12 Nov 2024)