Philoctetes, Part 1

Summary: This two-part BBC Schools production of the ancient Greek tragedy Philoctetes was preceded on 19 September by a 30-minute introductory programme delivered by the the moral philosopher Bernard Williams (then lecturer at University College London). The Philoctetes programmes were later re-broadcast as one half of a For Sixth Forms series on Greek Drama which also included three programmes on Euripides’ Bacchae.
Theatre play: Philoctetes by Sophocles [more information]
Play synopsis: The Greek hero Philoctetes was abandoned on the island Lemnos by Odysseus because of a foul-smelling wound on his leg. Ten years later, Odysseus returns to the island with Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, whom he wishes to use to trick Philoctetes to leave the island. Without Philoctetes and the bow of Heracles, which he possesses, the Greeks cannot win the Trojan war, but Philoctetes will do nothing to aid Odysseus, whom he hates.
Production history: First performed in 409 BC.
Date of transmission: Tuesday 26 September 1961
Time: 2.05pm
Channel: BBC Television
Production company: BBC

Producer

Ronald Eyre

Playwright

Sophocles

Translator

Kenneth Cavander

Designer

Charles Lawrence

Cast

Later transmissions: Repeat transmissions in September-October 1961, and again in 1962.
Notes: Cast list taken from the end credits of Part 1.
Play tags: Greek drama
Programme context tags: schools television programming; further education programming

Title: Philoctetes (BBC, 1961), Part 1 of 2
Archive: BBC Information and Archives [more information]
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Title: BBC WAC Scriptwriter files: Kenneth Cavander file 1, 1954-62 (Archive file)
Archive: BBC Written Archives Centre (WAC) [more information]
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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.
Linking notes: correspondence pertaining to the BBC’s commissioning of the translation, with one or two references to the 1961 Schools Television use of it

Title: Greek plays: Philoctetes (BBC Schools, 1961-62) (Blog article)
Author/creator: Amanda Wrigley (Author)
Reference: http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/philoctetes-bbc-schools-1961-62, published 22 December 2011

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