World Theatre is a 1959 Drama play series featuring various plays adapted for television. The series was produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC Television from 5 May 1959 - 11 August 1959.[1]
The series ran for 8 episodes over one series that aired on Tuesdays.[2][3] The episodes "Danton's Death" and "Blood Wedding" no longer exist in the BBC Archives and are believed now to be lost.[4]
During the filming of the episode "Brand" the production of the play was staged with impressively bleak and vast mountain sets designed by Richard Negri and required really highly complex lighting for the different open air conditions for the specified sets for the play, including the sea storm and avalanche. Patrick McGoohan who played the titled main character in the play it was apparently a very difficult role for Patrick McGoohan to successfully realise mainly due to his character that he was playing being a man who is presented in a state of heightened religious fervour from the first scene of the play when he appears on an arduous mountain pilgrimage. Meyer described the final act of the play leading up towards the avalanche, as being a great theatrical experience. He also said Ibsen was a master of the final act, but he never wrote a greater one than in Brand.[13] The play was also performed live on television at the Lyric Opera House Hammersmith.
Critical reception
Critics and reviewers praised the naturalistic, conversational performances of Wymark and Peter Sallis in contrast to McGoohan's more stylised performance for the play Brand.[14] Patrick McGoohan also won a BAFTA award for his performance in the episode "Brand".
DVD release
The only episode that has been released on DVD is the episode "Brand", which was released by Network DVD on the 28 July 2003. The DVD also features an interview with Peter Sallis where he recalled about his experience in the episode "Brand".[15][16][17] When the DVD was released Brian Watson largely approved of the DVD and described it as "This is one Hell of a play, and a must for Prisoner enthusiasts".[18]
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