British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Tempest, The

Alternative title
The Shakespeare Plays
Synopsis
Television production starring Michael Hordern as Prospero.
Series
BBC Television Shakespeare
Language
English
Country
Great Britain; United States
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Recording date
23 Jul 1979
Transmission details
27 Feb 1980 at 20:30 (Channel: BBC2)
Duration
125 mins

Credits

Director
John Gorrie
Producer
Cedric Messina
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Joseph Horovitz
Costume
Alun Hughes
Art Direction
Paul Joel
Contributor
Alan Shallcross
Cast
Michael HordernProspero
Pippa GuardMiranda
David DixonAriel
Warren ClarkeCaliban
Christopher GuardFerdinand
Alan RoweSebastian
Andrew SachsTrinculo
Christopher BramwellAdrian
David WallerAlonso
Derek GodfreyAntonio
Edwin BrownMaster of the Ship
Elizabeth GardnerCeres
Gwyneth LloydJuno
John NettletonGonzalo
Judith ReesIris
Kenneth GilbertBoatswain
Nigel HawthorneStephano
Paul GreenhalghFrancisco

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Plays
Tempest, The
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
drama in English; performances; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Tempest, The
Tempest, The

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 second season (producer: Cedric Messina). Recording took six days.
Stills
The island settings are modelled on Gustave Doré's illustrations for Dante’s Divine Comedy.
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

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
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.

Record Stats

This record has been viewed 867 times.