Hands Off the Classics
Messing around with the classics has a long and honoured history. In the 17th century Troilus and Cressida was produced with all the dirty bits cut out. In the 18th, King Lear had a happy ending. In the 19th, vast chunks were sliced off the classics to make way for ballet and vaudeville.
In our own century we take a scalpel to the classic rather than a hatchet. Nevertheless a fascinating and vitriolic debate is now raging over the border line between interpretation and vandalism.
Tonight's extended edition of Arena looks at the issues behind this debate and the great productions of the last 20 years, to find out whether it is ever possible to keep our ' hands off the classics'. With among others, John Barton , Peter Brook , Terry Hands , Alan Howard , Bernard Levin , Ian Mc-Kellen , Jonathan Miller and members of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Film editor CHARLES CHABOT
Producers DENNIS MARKS and ALAN YENTOB