Twelfth Night (1988 film)

Last updated

Twelfth Night
Directed byPaul Kafno (television)
Kenneth Branagh (original stage production)
Written by William Shakespeare (original play)
Produced byPaul Kafno
Starring Frances Barber
Richard Briers
Distributed by Channel 4 (original TV broadcast)
Release date
30 December 1988 (1988-12-30)
Running time
165 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Twelfth Night, or, What You Will is a videotaped 1988 television adaptation of Kenneth Branagh's stage production for the Renaissance Theatre Company of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night first broadcast in the UK by Channel 4 on 30 December 1988. [1] Made by Thames Television, in collaboration with Renaissance, it stars Frances Barber as Viola and Richard Briers as Malvolio. The recording was shot on a single set with the appearance of a wintry garden. The costumes are Victorian, and the time of year is Christmas.

Contents

Cast

Reception

Michael Brooke, in his piece for the BFI's screenonline website, particularly commends Briers performance. His "Malvolio is a delight, segueing seamlessly from self-righteous pomposity at inappropriate revelry to truly grotesque self-delusion as he proffers love to his mistress while clad in yellow stockings". [1]

Related Research Articles

Richard Briers English actor

Richard David Briers was an English actor whose five-decade career encompassed film, radio, stage and television.

Derek Jacobi English actor and director

Sir Derek George Jacobi is an English actor and film and theatre director. A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a successful and distinguished stage career, appearing in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet. He is also known for his performances in Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 and is a member of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog.

<i>Twelfth Night</i> Play by William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola falls in love with the Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her thinking she is a man.

Clive Swift British actor

Clive Walter Swift was an English actor and songwriter. A classically trained actor, his stage work included performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he was best known to television viewers for his role as Richard Bucket in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. He played many other television and film roles.

John Richard Hopkins was an English film, stage, and television writer.

Geraldine McEwan English actress (1932–2015)

Geraldine McEwan was an English actress, who had a long career in film, theatre and television. Michael Coveney described her, in a tribute article, as "a great comic stylist, with a syrupy, seductive voice and a forthright, sparkling manner".

Eric Porter British actor (1928–1995)

Eric Richard Porter was an English actor of stage, film and television.

Sir Toby Belch Character in Twelfth Night

Sir Toby Belch is a character in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. He is Olivia's uncle.

Malvolio Character in Twelfth Night

Malvolio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night, or What You Will. His name means "ill will" in Italian, referencing his disagreeable nature. He is the vain, pompous, authoritarian steward of Olivia's household.

The Renaissance Theatre Company was a theatre company founded in 1987 by Kenneth Branagh and David Parfitt. It was disbanded in 1992.

<i>Twelfth Night</i> (1996 film) 1996 film by Trevor Nunn

Twelfth Night is a 1996 romantic comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring an all-star cast. Set in the late 19th century, it was filmed on location in Cornwall, including scenes shot at Padstow and at Lanhydrock House near Bodmin, with Orsino and his followers wearing uniforms that evoke the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything is a collection of television comedy sketches, produced in 1999, broadcast in two parts on 2 and 4 January 2000 on BBC One. Based on well-known historical events, it took its title and concept from the 1969 London Weekend Television series The Complete and Utter History of Britain.

Nicholas Pennell British actor

Nicholas Pennell was an English actor who appeared frequently on film and television in the 1960s. He emigrated to Stratford, Ontario, Canada, where he became a stalwart of the Stratford Festival.

The Doctor novels are a series of 18 comic novels by British physician Richard Gordon, covering the antics of a group of young doctors. They were published between 1952 and 1986.

Viola (<i>Twelfth Night</i>) Character in Twelfth Night

Viola is the protagonist of the play Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare.

Music Is is a musical with a book by George Abbott, music by Richard Adler, and lyrics by Will Holt. It is the second musical adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Twelfth Night, following Your Own Thing in 1968.

Olivia (<i>Twelfth Night</i>) Character in Twelfth Night

Olivia is a fictional character from William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, believed to have been written around 1600 or 1601. She is at the centre of the various plots, both the comedic and the romantic. She has various suitors.

<i>Illyria</i> (musical)

Illyria is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Peter Mills, based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, written in 2002. Illyria is a traditional adaption of Twelfth Night, but features a more contemporary score.

"Twelfth Night" is a 1970 British TV adaptation of the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. It was directed by John Sichel and broadcast as the 44th episode of second season of ITV Sunday Night Theatre. The score was composed by Marc Wilkinson.

<i>Twelfth Night</i> (1910 film) 1910 American film

Twelfth Night is a 1910 silent short film directed by Eugene Mullin and Charles Kent. It is based on William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night. It was produced and distributed by the Vitagraph Company of America.

References

  1. 1 2 Michael Brooke "Twelfth Night (1988)", BFI screenonline