Coriolanus

Synopsis: A video recording, using a single, fixed camera, of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1989 production of Coriolanus. Directed by John Barton and Terry Hands with Charles Dance as Coriolanus and Barbara Jefford as Volumnia.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Recording date: 12 Jan 1989
Duration: 180 mins

Notes: Poor sound quality. Another master was recorded 2 May 1990.
General: The casting of Charles Dance in the title role, on a short contract, began a critical debate on the wisdom of ‘star casting’ into the Company at the expense of ensemble work.

"Christopher Morley’s set consists of three mobile seige towers with the Romans, in costume terms, veering to black leather, the Volscians to scarlet greatcoats." Michael Billington, The Guardian ( 7 December 1989).

Citizens and servants were played by Michael Tudor Barnes, Gabriell Blunt, Sarah Booth, Richard Earthy, Rob Edwards, Lucy Ellis, Jason Flemyng, Jane Gwilliams, Adrian Hilton, Michael Hughes, Daniel James, David Joyce, Leonard Maguire, Harry Miller, Niall Refoy, John Rolfe, Alison Ruffelle, Ade Sapara, Andrew Taney and Steven Waddington.
History: Press night 5 December 1989
Stills: Stills from, and design notes on, the production are available on the Arts and Humanities Performing Arts Data Service (AHDS) at http://ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/collections/designing-shakespeare.htm
Reviews: Holland, Peter. Shakespeare Survey 44 (1992), pp 57-90 (esp. 163-66).

Name: Royal Shakespeare Company
Web: https://www.rsc.org.uk External site opens in new window
Address: Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Waterside
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
CV37 6BB

Charles Dance	Caius Martius Coriolanus
Barbara Jefford	Volumnia
Malcolm Storry	Tullus Aufidius
Joseph O’Conor	Menenius Agrippa
Frank Moorey	Cominius
Ade Sapara	Sentinel (Watchman)
Amanda Harris	Virgilia
Aneurin Audas	Young Martius
Geoffrey Freshwater	Sicinius Velutus
Jane Maud	Valeria
Joe Melia	Junius Brutus
John Drake	Volscian Senator 2 (Senator (Volscian))
Lewis Jones	Volscian Senator 1 (Senator (Volscian))
Nicholas Besley	Young Martius
Peter Birrel	Roman Senator 2 (Senator (Rome))
Randal Herley	Roman Senator 1 (Senator (Rome))
Richard Mayes	Titus Lartius

British Universities Film & Video Council