SHAKESPEARE

Synopsis

Bernard Kops radio play distills elements freely adapted from Shakespeare’s tragedy into ‘A Sad Comedy with some Songs’ (subtitle). Kop’s one-act play is set in the 1950s lower-middle-class Jewish milieu of London’s East End and focuses on the journey and initiation of David Levy (Andrew Sachs), son to an invalid Jewish fishmonger (Cyril Shaps) who after his death returns to haunt his son as a ghost.
David’s songs are sung by Mike Leroy. The music is composed, arranged and played by Larry Adler.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Radio

Transmission details

5 Apr 1965 at 20:30 (Channel: BBC Home Service)

Duration

90 mins

Availability

Unknown

Credits

Producer

Charles Lefeaux

Writer

Bernard Kops

Music

Larry Adler

Cast

Andrew Sachs	David Levy (Hamlet)
Marjorie Westbury	Bessie Levy (Gertrude)
Patricia Leventon	Hava Segal (Ophelia)
Cyril Shaps	Samy Levy (Ghost)
Frederick Treves	Mr White
George Layton	Mr Green
Harry Towb	Mr Alf Stone
John Barrard	Mr Black
Mary Harry	Mrs Stone
Meier Tzelniker	Solty Segal
Mike Leroy

Additional Details

Production type

Television and Radio Drama

Historical period

1950s

Plays

Hamlet

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Jews; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes

A BBC recording. The Times has no listing for this broadcast on this date.

History

Originally produced as a stage performance at Oxford Playhouse in 1957.

Reviews

Kops writes about his first radio production and his return to the past, to ‘the dying community that I knew and loved and left in ‘The Hamlet of Stepney Green’, Radio Times, 1 April 1965, p. 25.

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)