Between Poetics and Production. A Russian Trace in Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (Soyuzmultfilm / Christmas Films / S4C / BBC Wales)

Abstract

Given that it was commissioned by channel S4C, with the scripts written by L. Garfield, dialogues recorded by British actors, and production coordinated by D. Edwards, the series Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992-94) could easily be viewed as a purely British television adaptation of British classics. However, this is a joint project, in which Russian studios Soyuzmultfilm and Christmas Films were responsible for animating the shows. This article therefore explores a “Russian trace” in Shakespeare: The Animated Tales, which reveals itself in both the poetics of each episode (directed by N. Orlova, N. Serebryakov, S. Sokolov, A. Zyablikova, etc.) and the specificity of the production process. It focuses on the interplay of animated images and their counterparts in Soviet film adaptations of Shakespeare. Indeed, M. Muat’s episode adapting Twelfth Night, N. Serebryakov’s adaptation of Othello, and Orlova’s interpretation of Hamlet rework a whole range of motifs inspired by Soviet adaptations (directed by I. Frid, S. Yutkevitch, G. Kosintsev, respectively). The dominant motifs of each episode also represent an imaginative approach taken by Russian animation artists who rewrote British classics through their visual poetics. The directors’ previous work in animation influences not only stylistic but also production choices (animation techniques, teams of production designers, animators, composers). Part of the article therefore focuses on the aspects of production transformed due to the British influence and yet still deeply rooted in the traditional style of work at Soyuzmultfilm (e. g. long production cycles). To explore this production specificity and its influence on poetics (the poetic matter), I interviewed several professionals involved in the project (N. Orlova, N. Dabizha, I. Markozyan, A. Zyablikova).