British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Othello

Summary
This BBC Television production of Othello, directed by Tony Richardson and starring Gordon Heath as Othello, Rosemary Harris as Desdemona and Paul Rogers as Iago, is the earliest production of Shakespeare on British television to be extant. The first 25 mins, set in Venice, were filmed, and the remainder, set in Cyprus, was shown live.
Theatre play
Othello by William Shakespeare [more information]
Date of transmission
Thursday 15 December 1955
Time
7.30pm (120 mins)
Channel
BBC Television
Production company
BBC

Credits

Director
Tony Richardson
Playwright
William Shakespeare
Composer
Leonard Chase
Composer
Tony Richardson
Designer
Reece Pemberton
Cast
Daphne AndersonEmilia
Brenda BennettSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Joby BlanshardThird Gentleman
Anthony BroughtonSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
James BullochSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Margaret ButtSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Fanny CarbySoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Robert ChecksfieldSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Jefferson CliffordSecond Senator
George A. CooperHerald
Harry CordwellSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Jon CurleSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Stephen DartnellSailor
Nigel DavenportLodovico
Howell DaviesSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Leon EaglesSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Christopher FettesMessenger
Dudley FosterSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
William GaskillSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Kim GrantMessenger
Keith GreeneSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Ron HaddrickSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Robert HardyCassio
Rosemary HarrisDesdemona
Gordon Heath (1918-1991)Othello
Richard HoldenSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Patrick HorganSecond Gentleman
Richard HuggettSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Randal KinkeadSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Angela KrefeldSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Jacqueline LaceySoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Eugene LeahySoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
John MacGregorSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
James MaxwellRoderigo
Kevin MilesFirst Gentleman
Patrick MilnerSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Brian MooreheadSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Paul RogersIago
Clive RoslinSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Milton RosmerGratiano
Frank RoydeFirst Senator
George SkillanDuke of Venice
John SouthworthSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Nicholas TannerSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Anthony TwiteSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Paul VieyraSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Peter WelchFirst Officer
Billie WhitelawBianca
Edmund WillardBrabantio
Casper WredeSoldier, Citizen, Sailor or Cypriot
Patrick WymarkMontano

Additional details

Later transmissions
8.00-10.00pm, Thursday 14 June 1956.
Notes
The names of actors in main roles have been double-checked against the credits in the BBC viewing copy.
Play tags
class issues / differences; race relations; tragedy

Audiovisual sources

Title
Othello (BBC, 1955)
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.

Title
Othello (BBC, 1955)
Archive
BFI Research Viewing Service [more information]
Address

21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7957 4726

Email

Use the contact form at http://www.bfi.org.uk/form/contact-research-viewing-services

Website

http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services

Access

The Research Viewing Service is available to non-commercial researchers and to students wishing to view research related material. It allows access to all films and videos designated as ‘viewing copies’ in the BFI National Archive. Viewings take place by appointment, between 10.30am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Charges apply: please see the website for further details.

Print sources

Title
Aspicks’ Tongues (Newspaper review)
Author/creator
Maurice Richardson (Reviewer)
Reference
The Observer, 18 December 1955, p. 9
Title
Blackleg! (Magazine review)
Author/creator
Philip Hope-Wallace (Reviewer)
Reference
The Listener, 22 December 1955, p. 1099
Linking notes
with b&w image of a scene from the production
Title
Othello (BBC, 1955) (Blog article)
Author/creator
John Wyver (Author)
Reference
http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/othello-bbc-1955, 2 March 2012
Title
Radio Times, 9 December 1955 (Magazine)
Linking notes
image on front cover, and article and listing on pp. 5, 38-39
Title
Shakespeare on Television: Othello (Newspaper review)
Reference
The Times, 16 December 1955, p. 5

Record Stats

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