The Clouds [scenes]

Summary

This co-production between the BBC and the Open University supported the work of distance-learning students enrolled on the undergraduate Arts foundation course A100 Humanities: An Introduction. The course was repeated annually from 1971 to 1977 and so there were several later transmissions in subsequent years from 1977. This production of Clouds in English translation was a condensed version of the original, and it was followed a week later by a programme in which the academic and translator John Ferguson discussed the television production with three students.

Theatre play

Clouds by Aristophanes [more information]

Play synopsis

In the ancient Greek comedy Clouds, the philosopher Socrates is ridiculed as a typical sophist and a propagator of ridiculous ideas. Strepsiades has been ruined financially by his wife and horse-loving son Pheidippides. He hopes that Socrates can teach his son how to defraud his creditors, but as his son refuses to enter Socrates’ school Strepsiades must undergo this education himself. Strepsiades proves to be too stupid to learn any valuable lessons, so his son takes his place. Strepsiades has learned enough to confute the creditors but Pheiddipides has also learned something - how to beat his father and prove that he is justified in doing so. Strepsiades repents of his dishonesty and sets fire to Socrates’ school.

Production history

First performed in Athens in the late 5th century BC

Date of transmission

Wednesday 19 May 1971

Duration

23 mins

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

Open University; BBC

Credits

Director

Nick Levinson

Producer

Nick Levinson

Playwright

Aristophanes

Translator

John Ferguson

Designer

Paul Munting

Introduced by

John Ferguson

Executive Producer

Peter Scroggs

Cast

Denis Carey	Socrates
Edward Kalinski	Cloud / Student
Graham Lawton	Cloud / Student
Nicholas Leahy	Leading Cloud / Student
Michael Mayne	Cloud / Student
Juan Moreno	Strepsiades
John Parker	Leading Student / Phidippides

Additional details

Play tags

comedy; Greek drama

Programme context tags

higher education programming

Audiovisual sources

Title

The Clouds (BBC / OU, 1971)

Archive

Open University Archive [more information]

Address

Library Services, Walton Hall
The Open University
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
UK

Telephone

+44 (0) 845 300 6090

Email

university-archive@open.ac.uk

Website

http://www8.open.ac.uk/library/library-resources/the-open-university-archive

Notes

Reference A100/18

Print sources

Title

The Clouds by Aristophanes, 1970 (Camera script)

Archive

Open University Archive [more information]

Address

Library Services, Walton Hall
The Open University
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
UK

Telephone

+44 (0) 845 300 6090

Email

university-archive@open.ac.uk

Website

http://www8.open.ac.uk/library/library-resources/the-open-university-archive

Reference

A100/18