"Macbeth" is a 1965 Australian TV production of the play by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. The play had previously been filmed by the ABC in 1960 with Keith Goodlet in the title role.

Cast

* Wynn Roberts as Macbeth *Terri Aldred as Lady Macbeth *Keith Eden as Macduff *Keith Lee as Banquo *Clark Bleazby as Ross *Allan Lander as Lennox *Mark Albiston as Malcolm *Michael Duffield as Seyton *Peter Hepworth as Fleance *Joan Harris as Lady Macduff *

Patricia Kennedy Patricia Helen Kennedy Lawford (May 6, 1924 – September 17, 2006) was an American socialite, and the sixth of nine children of Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. She was a sister of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Senator ...

, Roma Johnston and Agnes Dobson as the witches *

Sydney Conabere Sydney Leicester Conabere (8 July 191815 July 2008) was an Australian actor. He was notable for his work in theatre, film and television drama in a career spanning more than fifty years. In 1962 Conabere won the Logie award for Best Actor, for ...

, Lloyd Cunningham, Nevil Thurgood as murderers

Production

The production was directed by

Alan Burke Alan S. Burke (September 15, 1922 – August 25, 1992) was an American conservative television and radio talk show host who was on the air primarily in New York City from 1966 to 1969 on WNEW-TV. Life He was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1922 ...

who said, "I always approach Shakespeare with reverence, but not with awe. Someone once said, 'A producer should read every new play as if it were Shakespeare, and Shakespeare as if it were a new play.' I heartily agree with this.... The main value of the play is inside the minds of its characters. TV, with its revealing close-ups, is the ideal medium with which to demonstrate this." It was set in the year the play was written, around 1600, rather than when Shakespeare originally set it, around 1100. This meant the characters wore traditional tartans. "Our aim was authenticity," said Burke. "Every detail was thoroughly researched - the tartans, costumes and swords. The atmosphere of a battle in the eeriness of a misty forest could not have possibly be recreated in a studio. But we found the perfect location for it in Mount Macedon." The final battle was shot in

Mount Macedon Mount Macedon ( Aboriginal Woiwurrung language: ''Geboor'' or ''Geburrh'') is a dormant volcano that is part of the Macedon Ranges of the Great Dividing Range, located in the Central Highlands region of Victoria, Australia. The mountain has ...

over two days involving cast and crew of 83 in all. Wardrobe managed Keith Clarke said "the kilts had to be carefully planned and supervised, otherwise with 30 men fighting enthusiastically we could have ended up with a few nasty accidents." The bulk of filming was done at the ABC studios in

Ripponlea Ripponlea is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. Ripponlea recorded a population of 1,532 at the 202 ...

, Melbourne. Trevor Ling was the designer.

Reception

The ''Age'' called it "ambitious and, generally, extremely competent. It was an encouraging experiment in what can be done to popularise Shakespeare."

References

External links

* 1965 television plays 1965 Australian television episodes 1960s Australian television plays Wednesday Theatre (season 1) episodes {{tv-episode-stub