Oedipus at Colonus

Summary: The BBC production of The Theban Plays consisted of three separate theatre plays, each transmitted on different evenings: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. These productions were preceded by a documentary, Speaking to the City: Sophocles Then and Now, transmitted on 14 September 1986.
Theatre play: Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles [more information]
Play synopsis: Oedipus, blind and banished from Thebes, arrives in Colonus with his daughter Antigone. The locals ask him to leave, fearing his presence will curse the place, but he refuses, believing this to be the place where he must die. Theseus, King of Athens, resolves the issue. Another of his daughters, Ismene, arrives to tell him of the quarrel between his two sons Eteocles and Polyneices and Oedipus curses them. Oedipus withdraws and a Messenger enters to report his solitary death.
Production history: Written not long before Sophocles’ death in 406/5 BC.
Date of transmission: Wednesday 17 September 1986
Time: 8.50pm
Channel: BBC2
Production company: BBC

Credits

Director

Don Taylor (1936-2003)

Producer

Louis Marks

Lighting

Clive Thomas

Playwright

Sophocles

Translator

Don Taylor (1936-2003)

Composer

Derek Bourgeois

Conductor

Derek Bourgeois

Costumes

June Hudson

Advisor

Geoffrey Lewis (on classical matters)

Script Editor

Stuart Griffiths

Cast

David Belcher	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Andrew Burt	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Paul Copley	Local Man
Clive Francis	Theseus
John Gabriel	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Kenneth Haigh	Polynices
Christopher Hancock	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Michael N. Harbour	Messenger
Ian Hogg	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Edward Jewesbury	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Trevor Peacock	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Bryan Pringle	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Anthony Quayle	Oedipus
Morgan Sheppard	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Michael Shevelew	Theseus’ Attendant
John Shrapnel	Creon
Barry Stanton	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Juliet Stevenson	Antigone
Gwen Taylor	Ismene
Jerome Willis	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)
Frank Windsor	Elder of Colonus (Chorus)

Additional details

Play tags: Greek drama; tragedy

Audiovisual sources

Title: Oedipus at Colonus (BBC, 1986)
Archive: BBC Information and Archives [more information]
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Title: Oedipus at Colonus (BBC, 1986)
Archive: BFI Research Viewing Service [more information]
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Print sources

Title: Cash and Classics (Newspaper review)
Author/creator: Philip Purser (Reviewer)
Reference: The Sunday Telegraph, 21 September 1986, p. 16

Title: Dubious Bonuses (Newspaper review)
Author/creator: Martin Cropper (Reviewer)
Reference: The Times, 18 September 1986, p. 19

Title: Encounter Group (Magazine review)
Author/creator: Al Senter (Reviewer)
Reference: The Listener, 11 September 1986, p. 29
Notes: With image of Gielgud as Teiresias.

Title: Greek plays: Oedipus at Colonus, part 2 of The Theban Plays (BBC, 1986) (Blog article)
Author/creator: Amanda Wrigley (Author)
Reference: http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/oedipus-at-colonus-bbc-1986, published 20 March 2012

Title: Oedipus Schmoedipus (Newspaper review)
Author/creator: Alan Rusbridger (Reviewer)
Reference: The Observer, 21 September 1986, p. 32

Title: Radio Times, 13 September 1986 (Magazine)
Linking notes: listing; and illustrated article titled ‘Cassics for Pleasure’ on pp. 82-85

Title: Televising the Thebans (Newspaper review)
Author/creator: Hugh Hebert (Reviewer)
Reference: The Guardian, 17 September 1986, Arts section, p. 9

Title: TV First for Oedipus Trilogy (Newspaper article)
Author/creator: Gavin Bell (Author)
Reference: The Times, 8 August 1986, p. 3

Title: You Wus Framed! (Magazine review)
Author/creator: Peter Lennon (Reviewer)
Reference: The Listener, 25 September 1986, p. 34

Associated programmes

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