Abstract
This article discusses The Hollow Crown (2012, 2016) adaptations of William Shakespeare’s histories in the light of broader changes that have overtaken television. Contextualising the series in terms of technical, industrial, cultural, and critical transformations, the article highlights the Shakespearean significance of debates in television studies around quality, complexity, and aesthetics. To illustrate this thesis, the article analyses the opening of Richard II (dir. Rupert Goold, 2012), unpacking the ways in which the first 60 seconds merge markers of prestige with a distinctive cinematic style and a dense imagistic and acoustic register in order to achieve narrative intricacy and poetic responsiveness.
Highlights
This article discusses The Hollow Crown (2012, 2016) adaptations of William Shakespeare’s histories in the light of broader changes that have overtaken television
Well-known examples include the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Macbeth directed by Trevor Nunn (1976) reconfigured for Thames Television in 1979 and, more recently, the RSC Hamlet, starring David Tennant: the original production (2008) was filmed as television adaptation broadcasts on the BBC (2009) and PBS (2010), respectively
Other theatre companies have made similar moves into television, as telefilms by the National Theatre attest
Summary
This article discusses The Hollow Crown (2012, 2016) adaptations of William Shakespeare’s histories in the light of broader changes that have overtaken television.
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