British Universities Film & Video Council

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Midsummer Night’s Dream, A

Alternative title
The Shakespeare Plays
Synopsis
Television production starring Helen Mirren as Titania and Peter McEnery as Oberon.
Series
BBC Television Shakespeare
Language
English
Country
Great Britain; United States
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
19 May 1981
Transmission details
13 Dec 1981 at 19:15 (Channel: BBC2)
Duration
120 mins

Credits

Director
Elijah Moshinsky
Producer
Jonathan Miller
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Stephen Oliver
Art Direction
David Myerscough-Jones
Choreographer
Eleanor Fazan
Contributor
David Snodin
Cast
Nigel DavenportTheseus
Estelle KohlerHippolyta
Peter McEneryOberon
Helen MirrenTitania
Phil DanielsPuck (Robin Goodfellow)
Alexandra SegalFairy
Brian GloverNick Bottom
Bruce SavagePeaseblossom
Cherith MellorHelena
Dominic MartelliMoth
Don EstelleRobin Starveling
Geoffrey LumsdenEgeus
Geoffrey PalmerPeter Quince
Hugh QuarshiePhilostrate
John FowlerFrancis Flute
Lee MacDonaldFairy
Louise MasonFairy
Massimo MezzofantiCobweb
Nat JackleyTom Snout
Nicky HensonDemetrius
Pippa GuardHermia
Ray MortSnug
Robert LindsayLysander
Tania BennettFairy
Timothy GrossMustardseed

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
17th Century
Plays
Midsummer Night’s Dream, A
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
drama in English; performances; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Midsummer Night’s Dream, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, A

Notes

Notes
The production is commercially available on DVD as part of the BBC TV SHAKESPEARE COLLECTION box set (see separate entry).
History
This production was part of the fourth season (producer: Jonathan Miller). Recording took a week.
Textual information
Between 1978 and 1986 the BBC published individual scripts of the series. Each volume of The BBC TV Shakespeare, ed. Peter Alexander et al. (London: British Broadcasting Corporation) contains the full text of the play (the Peter Alexander edition) with accompanying notes on the scene breaks and cuts made in the production, as well as a glossary. A general introduction to the play by series literary advisor John Wilders is followed by an essay on the production of the play by Henry Fenwick. This is based on interviews with actors, directors, and designers.
Reviews
Susan Willis, The BBC Shakespeare Plays: Making the Televised Canon (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991).

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Name

Time-Life Films Inc

Phone
0101 201 843 4545
Address
PO Box 644
NJ 07652
USA

Distributor

Name

BBC Store

Web
https://store.bbc.com/ External site opens in new window
Notes
NB. From May 2017 programmes are no longer available to buy on BBC Store. From November 1st 2017 the store will close completely and programmes bought from BBC Store will no longer be available to watch. Customers who have bought items from BBC Store will be contacted by email and refunded for their purchases either by full cash refund or Amazon video vouchers.

Record Stats

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