British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Englishman Abroad, An

Synopsis
Made-for-television film. Acclaimed recreation of the meeting between actress Coral Browne and British spy and defector Guy Burgess, in Moscow in 1958. The initial meeting took place in a theatre, where Browne (who plays herself) is appearing as Gertrude in a Shakespeare Memorial Theatre production of Hamlet. Includes two sequences from the play in performance: the introduction of Rosencrantz and Guildernstern (II ii) and Hamlet after the death of Polonious and the entrance of the King and Queen (II iv/IV i). If there are connections to be made between Burgess and Hamlet they are not made clear beyond Shakespeare perhaps signifying Britain and its culture for which Burgess felt a certain love and longing.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Availability
Out of distribution
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Credits

Director
John Schlesinger
Producer
Innes Lloyd
Cinematographer
Nat Crosby
Writer
Alan Bennett
Music
George Fenton
Cast
Alan Bates 
Charles Gray 
Coral Browne 
Harold Innocent 
Mark Wing-Davey 
Vernon Dobtcheff 

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
View this record on the Shakespeare site for additional details

Record Stats

This record has been viewed 327 times.