The Tempest

Summary

BBC Television production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Theatre play

The Tempest by William Shakespeare [more information]

Play synopsis

Teh Tempest is set on a remote island, ‘where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skillful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio’s lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso’s son, Ferdinand.' (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tempest.)

Production history

Believed to have been written 1610-11, published in the First Folio 1623.

Date of transmission

Sunday 14 October 1956

Time

8.30pm (105 mins)

Series

Sunday-Night Theatre

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producers

Ian Atkins, Robert Atkins (1886-1972)

Playwright

William Shakespeare

Composer

Hans Heimler

Director of Orchestra

Hans Heimler

Musician

Michael Dobson (oboe)

Musician

Geoffrey Gilbert (flute)

Musician

William Krasnik (viola)

Musician

Tom McCall (celesta)

Musician

J. Edward Jr Merrett (double-bass)

Musician

Anthony Pini (cello)

Musician

Sidney Sell (clarinet)

Musician

Stephen Whittaker (percussion)

Designer

Barry Learoyd

Costumes

Olive Harris

Choreographer

Geraldine Stephenson

Cast

Robert Atkins (1886-1972)	Caliban
Anna Barry	Miranda
Sylvia Beamish	Ceres
Patti Brooks	Ariel
Bernard Brown	Ferdinand
Laidman Browne	Alonso
Dennis Chinnery	Boatswain
David Chivers	Mariner
Odel Crowther	Spirit attending on Prospero
Valerie Deakin	Spirit attending on Prospero
Robert Eddison	Prospero
Donald Forest	Spirit attending on Prospero
Regina Frankel	Spirit attending on Prospero
David Gardner	Spirit attending on Prospero
Jean Grayston	Juno
Clement Hamelin	Francisco
John Harmer	Spirit attending on Prospero
Douglas Hill	Spirit attending on Prospero
Wendy Hilton	Spirit attending on Prospero
Janet Kedge	Spirit attending on Prospero
Molly Kenny	Spirit attending on Prospero
Patricia Kneale	Iris
Ann [or Anne] Lewis	Spirit attending on Prospero
Jonathan Meddings	Trinculo
Brian Moorehead	Mariner
Charles Lloyd Pack	Gonzalo
Olaf Pooley	Sebastian
Rex Rainer	Spirit attending on Prospero
Peter Street	Adrian
Russell Thorndike	Stephano
Douglas Wilmer	Antonio

Audiovisual sources

Title

The Tempest (BBC, 1956)

Archive

BBC Information and Archives [more information]

Address

White City
London
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 8008 2288

Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/

Access

BBC Information and Archives is not open to the public.

Print sources

Title

Experiments with Shakespeare: The BBC’s Tempest (Newspaper review)

Reference

The Manchester Guardian, 15 October 1956, p. 5

Title

Magic Mirror (Newspaper review)

Author/creator

G. A. Olden (Reviewer)

Reference

The Irish Times, 18 October 1956, p. 8

Title

Plays and Cars (Newspaper review)

Author/creator

Maurice Richardson (Reviewer)

Reference

The Observer, 21 October 1956, p. 15

Title

Radio Times, 12 October 1956 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing on p. 14 and article on p. 15