All Shakespeare’s plays for TV

Press, 5 December 1978, Page 17

All Shakespeare’s plays for TV

NZPA Staff Correspondent London Probably the most ambitious project undertaken by the 8.8. C. began in Britain last week with the screening of “Romeo and Juliet.” The play is the first to be shown in a six-year project to produce every one of Shakespeare’s 37 plays for television. Each year six or seven plays will be produced and screened. The head of 8.8. C. television sales, Mr Roy Gibbs, said that at least the first six plays would be shown in New Zealand, and probably the entire series. “New Zealand has predictably expressed considerable interest in the project as has the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Once the A.B.C. has bought the series it can then be offered to New Zealand, and that will probably be early next year.” he said. The series is expected to be shown throughout the world. Each year’s selection of plays would be sold togerher, Mr Gibbs said The series is expected tc be shown throughout the world. Each year’s selection of plays would be sold together. Mr Gibbs said. “People are queing up to buy the plays,” he said.

“We’ve had positive interest from the whole of irope, including Russia, and from Japan.” Each of the six yearly seasons is designed to offer a mixture of history, comedy and tragedy. The plays will not usually be presented in any historical seo,uence, except for the eight English history plays — “Richard ll.’’ the two parts of “Henry IV.” “Henry V,” and the three parts of “Henry VI,” and “Richard III.” The six plays in the first season are “Romeo and Juliet,” “Richard II,” “As-You Like It,” “Julius. Ceasar,” “Measure for Measure” and “Henrv VIII.” The actors and actresses chosen for the plays are mainly well-known English Shakespearean actors, although the star of “Romeo and Juliet,” Rebecca Saire, was neither an actresss nor yell known before her role as Juliet. The fourteen-year-old was chosen from “thousands of young aspirants” and, after the two months of rehearsals and filming i arlier this year, returned t> school. The head of 8.8. C. drama, Shaun Sutton, said that the aim was to appeal to as wide an audience as possible; “We have eliminated some of the more complex archaic phrases so as to enable anyone to follow and understand the plays, he said. “We hope they’ll appeal both to those "who have seen them many times before and those who may never have seen any of Shakespeare’s works.” “We’ve presented the plays in their traditional way — no modern interpretations, just pure Shakespeare,” Sutton said. Some of the plays, such as “Romeo and Juliet” have been filmed entirely in the studio; others have been filmed on location.

such as “As You Like It” at Glamis Castle, in Scotland. "We decided to start the series with "Romeo and Juliet” because of its great appeal,” said Sutton. “First, it’s a love story, so that in itself ensures popular appeal; and, second, it is one of the bet-ter-known plays and people will be familiar with the story.” No estimated cost has been put on the entire 37 plays — “who can tell what a pound will be worth in six years” — but “Romeo and Juliet” alone cost about $370,000, and that was one of the cheapest to produce as it was filmed in the studio and was relatively short. The longest of the plays will probably be “King Lear” and “Hamlet”, which will last about three hours and a half. A comprehensive programme to complement the plays has also been planned." The plays are being published in paperback form . ith a preface by the producer and an introductory explanation by Dr John Wilders, the literary .consultant who supervised the series. The idea for the series came to the producer, Cedric Messina, in 1975 when he was at Glamis Castle filming a play in the 8.8.C.’s “Play of the Month” series which he then produced. He realised that it would make an ideal Forest of Arden for “As You Like It.” The idea grew from there, and in January of this year the first rehearsals began. “The guiding principle has always been to make the entire set of plays in a permanent form accessible to audiences throughout the world, and to bring to many millions of people the delight and excitement of seeing them performed well — and. in many cases, seeing them performed for the first tme,” Messina said.