British Universities Film & Video Council

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Hollow Crown, The

Synopsis
First episode in a fifteen-part televised series comprising Shakespeare’s history plays from Richard II to Richard III (the two tetralogies), effectively presenting a chronological history of British royalty from 1377 to 1485. This episode covers Richard II, Acts I-III.
Series
Age of Kings, An
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television
Transmission details
28 Apr 1960 at 21:00 (Channel: BBC)
Duration
60 mins

Credits

Director
Michael Hayes
Producer
Peter Dews
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Christopher Whelen
Art Direction
Stanley Morris
Contributor
Arthur Bliss; Eric Crozier; Lionel Salter
Cast
David WilliamKing Richard II
Edgar WrefordJohn of Gaunt
Tom FlemingHenry Bolingbroke (Bolingbroke)
Alan RoweLord Ross
Anthony Valentine 
Brian SmithServant to the Duke of York (Servant)
David AndrewsSir John Bushy (Bushy)
Eileen Atkins 
Frank WindsorBishop of Carlisle
Geoffrey BayldonEdmund of Langley, Duke of York
George A. CooperHenry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Gordon GostelowLord Willoughby
Jerome WillisSir Henry Green (Green)
John RinghamLord Berkeley
Julian GloverLord Marshal
Juliet CookeQueen
Leon ShepperdsonEarl of Salisbury
Maggie Barton 
Noel JohnsonThomas Mowbray
Patrick GarlandSir Stephen Scroop (Sir Stephen Scroope)
Sean ConneryHarry Percy
Terence LodgeSir William Bagot (Bagot)

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Medieval
Plays
Richard II
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Eternity of Kings, An

Notes

Notes
Commercially available on DVD as part of a 5-disc box set from BBC Warner (released March 2009). A written transcript of the series is being held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.
General
As Michael Brooke notes, this production was "the most conceptually ambitious Shakespeare project ever attempted for either film or television." Each episode involved expenses of £4.000 and a cast of 600. The rehearsal period took thirty weeks.
History
The broadcast of Richard II was the sixteenth production of Shakespeare on BBC television since one scene from Henry V was shown in February, 1937.
Figures
Reaction Index 72 (BBC Audience Research). The Reaction Index is a measurement of the quality
and success of the programme with the audience who had watched it. It is based on a range of 0 to 100.)
Awards
Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Excellence in Directing (Peter Dews)

1962 The George Foster Peabody Award
Textual information
Script editor Michael Cozier cut the texts into 60 -75 minute episodes which, for the most part, comprised half a complete play.
Reviews
Michael Brooke, "Age of Kings, An (1960)", http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/527213/index.html

Online Availability

Online URL
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/527213/index.html

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7436 0165
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN

Record Stats

This record has been viewed 970 times.