British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Richard II

Alternative title
The Shakespeare Plays
Synopsis
Television production with Derek Jacobi in the title role.
Series
BBC Television Shakespeare
Language
English
Country
Great Britain; United States
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
12 Apr 1978
Transmission details
10 Dec 1978 at 20:10 (Channel: BBC2)
Duration
150 mins

Credits

Director
David Giles
Producer
Cedric Messina
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
William Walton
Costume
Robin Fraser-Payi
Art Direction
Tony Abbott
Contributor
Alan Shallcross
Cast
Derek JacobiKing Richard II
Janet MawQueen Isabel
John GielgudJohn of Gaunt
Jon FinchBolingbroke
Mary MorrisDuchess of Gloucester
Alan CollinsGardener’s man (1)
Alan DaltonGreen
Bruno BarnabeAbbot of Westminster
Carl OatleyEarl Berkeley (Lord Berkeley)
Charles GrayEdmund of Langley, Duke of York
Charles KeatingDuke of Aumerle
Clifford RoseBishop of Carlisle
Damien ThomasBagot
David DodimeadLord Ross
David GarfieldCaptain of the Welsh army
David SwiftHenry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Desmond AdamsSir Pierce of Exton (Sir Piers Exton)
Jeffrey HollandDuke of Surrey
Jeremy BulloughHenry Percy (Harry Percy)
Joe RitchieGroom of King Richard’s stable
John BarcroftEarl of Salisbury
John CurlessLord Fitzwater (Lord Fitzwalter)
John FlintLord Willoughby
Jonathan AdamsGardener
Mike LewinHerald
Paddy WardKeeper of the prison at Pomfret
Phillida SewellLady attending the Queen
Richard OwensThomas Mowbray
Robin SachsBushy
Ronald FerneeServant
Sandra FriezeLady attending the Queen
Terry WrightMurderer
Tim BrownHerald
Wendy HillerDuchess of York
William WhymperSir Stephen Scroop (Sir Stephen Scroope)

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Medieval
Plays
Richard II
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
drama in English; performances; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Richard II
Richard II

Notes

Notes
The production is commercially available on DVD as part of the BBC TV SHAKESPEARE COLLECTION box set (see separate entry). T
History
This production is part of the first season (producer: Cedric Messina). Recording took place in six days.
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

Simply Media

Contact
Laura Smith
Email
info@simplymedia.tv
Web
http://www.simplymedia.tv/ External site opens in new window
Phone
0203 542 3722
Address
Highlight House
57 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SJ
Notes
Formerly known as DD Home Entertainment or DDHE

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Trumedia Ltd

Contact
Bill Cotton
Email
sales@trumedia.co.uk
Web
https://trumedia.co.uk/ External site opens in new window
Phone
01865 847837
Fax
01865 847837
Address
9 Meadow View
Kidlington
Kidlington
OX5 2XY
Notes
Trumedia supplies video tapes and DVDs to UK schools, colleges and universities and is geared up to take official orders from educational institutions. The catalogue highlights programmes likely to be of use in the curriculum, but the company can supply any video in current UK distribution, as well as some deleted titles. Particularly strong in the areas of English literature and drama, as well as history, natural history, art & artists, and foreign language films.

Online Retailer

Name

Moviemail

Web
https://www.simplyhe.com/3000-moviemail External site opens in new window
Phone
0844 848 2000
Address
Simply Home Entertainment
PO Box 7741
Ringwood
BH24 9FA
UK
Notes
As of December 2016 the Moviemail web presence is incorporated within the Simply Media website

Record Stats

This record has been viewed 1238 times.