British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Using the Verse

Synopsis
Television documentary series. A nine-part series in which John Barton, associate director with the Royal Shakespeare Company, works with RSC actors analysing how Shakespeare’s text works examining the use of verse and prose, set speeches and solilioquies, language and character. The later programmes concentrate on areas such as irony, ambiguity, passion and coolness. Episode 2: USING THE VERSE continues the discussion around heightened and naturalistic verse through an analysis of language and verse structure, defining blank verse, antithesis, short lines, end-stopping lines and dramatic pauses.
Series
Playing Shakespeare
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Notes
In June 2009 all 9 parts of the series were released for sale in the US in a 4-disc DVD set by Athena, ISBN 1-59828-221-4. Price $79.99.

Playing Shakespeare by John Barton, with a foreword by Trevor Nunn, is published by Methuen 1984. The book complements the series and reproduces part of the discussions in the programmes with some editing and rewording.
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
acting; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Verse speaking; Workshops
Related items
Lessons in Reality, Just from ‘Playing Shakespeare’

Credits

Director
John Carlow
Producer
Andrew Snell
Contributor
John Barton
Cast
Alan Howard 
David Suchet 
Ian McKellen 
Jane Lapotaire 
Lisa Harrow 
Michael Williams 
Patrick Stewart 
Sheila Hancock 
Sinead Cusack 

Production Company

Name

London Weekend Television

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7436 0165
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
Name

Folger Shakespeare Library

Email
reference@folger.edu
Web
http://www.folger.edu External site opens in new window
Phone
(202) 544 4600
Fax
(202) 544 4623
Address
201 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington
DC 20003
USA

Distributor

Name

Athena

Email
customerservice@acornonline.com
Web
http://acornonline.com/ External site opens in new window
Phone
+651-351-3990
Fax
+651-351-3996
Address
c/o
Acorn Media
102 South Second Street
Stillwater
MN 55082
USA
Notes
Athena is a label of Acorn Media.

Distributor (Sale)

Name

ITN Source

Email
uksales@itnsource.com
Web
http://www.itnsource.com External site opens in new window
Phone
+44 (0) 207 430 4480
Address
200 Grays Inn Road
London WC1X 8XZ
View this record on the Shakespeare site for additional details

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