I remember watching this in 1963. I was about 12 years old, and it was broadcasted on ITV on a Tuesday night at about 8:30. For a 12-year-old, it was a very perplexing programme. I think I only kept watching it, order to stay up late that night. Plus, there was nothing particularly interesting on the other side (BBC) at the same time.
The play seemed to be produced on a circular stage, in the same way that I would imagine early television plays would have been broadcasted, similar to the way some Shakespearian plays have recently been staged. There were lots of actors in period dress, the background was completely dark, and there was no scenery nor props, apart from a raised platform for the characters to sit or stand on.
The other perplexing part of the programme was that the narrator actually appeared on the stage, telling the story as it unfolded. The strange thing was that he was dressed in a modern-day suit, looking rather out of place in a period drama.
This story telling technique of the narrator performing dually as one of the cast and talking to the audience as the story unfolds, with other members of the cast being totally oblivious to him speaking, harks back to the type of plays that were put on by the Ancient Greeks. The narrator also seemed to be acting as a spectator and walked anachronistically amongst the other members of the cast. He also, spookily, seemed to act as a confidante to some of the plays characters, during their period of deep introspection and dark reflection.
I think in the Greek plays, he would have been known as Chorus. Other examples of this are Richard III in Shakespeare's play of the same name; the character of Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum"; and, more famously, Tevye the Milkman in "Fiddler On The Roof".
I will give the play 8 out of 10 for effort and for reviving an old traditional method of producing a play, at the same time, trying to reinvent the old style of putting on theatrical performances.
The play seemed to be produced on a circular stage, in the same way that I would imagine early television plays would have been broadcasted, similar to the way some Shakespearian plays have recently been staged. There were lots of actors in period dress, the background was completely dark, and there was no scenery nor props, apart from a raised platform for the characters to sit or stand on.
The other perplexing part of the programme was that the narrator actually appeared on the stage, telling the story as it unfolded. The strange thing was that he was dressed in a modern-day suit, looking rather out of place in a period drama.
This story telling technique of the narrator performing dually as one of the cast and talking to the audience as the story unfolds, with other members of the cast being totally oblivious to him speaking, harks back to the type of plays that were put on by the Ancient Greeks. The narrator also seemed to be acting as a spectator and walked anachronistically amongst the other members of the cast. He also, spookily, seemed to act as a confidante to some of the plays characters, during their period of deep introspection and dark reflection.
I think in the Greek plays, he would have been known as Chorus. Other examples of this are Richard III in Shakespeare's play of the same name; the character of Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum"; and, more famously, Tevye the Milkman in "Fiddler On The Roof".
I will give the play 8 out of 10 for effort and for reviving an old traditional method of producing a play, at the same time, trying to reinvent the old style of putting on theatrical performances.
