Lysistrata

Summary: This BBC production of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata appears to be the first British television production of an ancient Greek comedy, as well as the second BBC production of a Greek drama, following on from the BBC’s broadcast of Euripides’ Women of Troy in 1958.
Theatre play: Lysistrata by Aristophanes [more information]
Play synopsis: This Greek comedy expresses a desire for peace in the Peloponnesian War. The men having failed to achieve peace, the Athenian woman Lysistrata decides that women should take control of affairs, forcing a peace by refusing sexual relations and taking possession of Athens’ reserve of money in the Parthenon on the Acropolis. The women of Athens and other Greek city-states band together in this plan. Non-Athenian women return to their city-states and the Athenian women occupy the Acropolis. The plan is successful, the men agree to peace, and Athenians and Spartans, together with husbands and wives, are reconciled.
Production history: First performed in Greece in 411BC.
Date of transmission: Wednesday 15 January 1964
Time: 9.25pm (55 mins)
Series: Festival
Channel: BBC Television
Production company: BBC

Director

Prudence FitzGerald

Producer

Peter Luke

Playwright

Aristophanes

Adaptor of Script

Translator

Composer

Designer

Costume Supervisor

Dorothy Wallace

Make-up Supervisor

Tommy Manderson

Story Editor

Harry Moore

Cast

Title: Greek plays: Lysistrata (BBC, 1964) (Blog article)
Author/creator: Amanda Wrigley (Author)
Reference: http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/lysistrata-bbc-1964, published 28 June 2011

Title: Greek plays: Lysistrata redux (BBC, 1964) (Blog article)
Author/creator: Amanda Wrigley (Author)
Reference: http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/lysistrata-redux-bbc-1964, published 21 October 2011

Title: It was War - or Sex! (Newspaper article)
Author/creator: Clifford Davis (Author)
Reference: Daily Mirror, 15 January 1964, 14
Notes: The article is illustrated with an image of Diane Cilento, the actor playing the title role.

Title: Lysistrata, 1964 (Camera script)
Archive: BBC Written Archives Centre (WAC) [more information]
Address
Peppard Road
Caversham Park
Reading
Berkshire
RG4 8TZ
UK
Telephone
+44 (0)118 948 6281
Email
heritage@bbc.co.uk
Website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/wac
Access
The WAC is open from 9.30am to 5.00pm on Wednesdays to Fridays throughout the year to academics, postgraduate students and writers by appointment.
Reference: Script Library (microfiche)

Title: Lysistrata, 1964 (Archive file)
Archive: BBC Written Archives Centre (WAC) [more information]
Address
Peppard Road
Caversham Park
Reading
Berkshire
RG4 8TZ
UK
Telephone
+44 (0)118 948 6281
Email
heritage@bbc.co.uk
Website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/wac
Access
The WAC is open from 9.30am to 5.00pm on Wednesdays to Fridays throughout the year to academics, postgraduate students and writers by appointment.
Reference: T5/2160/1
Notes: A full file containing, amongst other things, internal staff memos, budgetary information and an Audience Research Report.

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