Friday, June 15, 2012

RSC Julius Caesar's BBC Four broadcast date confirmed.

John Wyver at Illuminations has just confirmed it, but the film version of the RSC's new production of Julius Caesar broadcasts on BBC Four on Sunday 24 June 2012 at 8pm. Here's the synopsis on the relevant programme page:
"Film version of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2012 production of Shakespeare's fast-moving thriller. A vivid story about a struggle for democracy, Julius Caesar is also a love story between two men united by an explosive act of political violence. The setting is a modern African state in which the tyrant Caesar is about to seize power. Cassius persuades Brutus to join the conspirators plotting an assassination. Featuring a distinguished cast of black actors, the film is shot on location and in the RSC's theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon."
Really excited and I suppose we can consider it something of an experiment because this is a rare occasion of a version of a theatre production being broadcast during the run initial run of that same theatre production.

One of the reasons often given for theatre not appearing on television or radio is the impact that would have on box office receipts, so it'll be interesting to hear if this does have an impact on the RSC's box office receipts. 

My guess is that it won't.  These are separate entities and the experience of watching each is different, a viewer choosing between the close-ups of television or the electricity of live theatre and people will still flock to the RSC because it's the RSC.  We'll see.

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