A series of 13 programmes which tell the story of the theatre from its earliest beginnings to the present day. Written and presented by Ronald Harwood
6: Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On What happened to the theatre after Shakespeare?
Far from being dead, two dazzling new theatres emerged: extravagant spectacles for the aristocratic establishment, based on the carnival plays of Renaissance Italy which the Medici princes had used to enhance their public prestige; and an alternative theatre obsessed with blood, morbid sex, madness, revenge and the double standards of the ruling class.
These two theatres, the court masques and what we now call Jacobean tragedy, existed side by side in 17th-century England-both were symptoms of a neurotic age. Those taking part include John Gielgud , Peter Hall
Michael Bryant , Daniel Massey
Film editor SUSAN SPIVEY
Executive producer RICHARD CAWSTON Producer HARRY HASTINGS
Directed by MISHA WILLIAMS