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The Beggar's Opera (1983) (TV)
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Overview
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Director:
Writer:
John Gay (by)
Plot:
A historical adaptation of John Gay's 18th Century ballad opera, exuberantly performed for BBC television...
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For fans of the original
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Cast
(in credits order) | Bob Hoskins | ... | Beggar |
 | Graham Crowden | ... | Player |
| Stratford Johns | ... | Peachum |
| Gary Tibbs | ... | Filch |
| Patricia Routledge | ... | Mrs. Peachum |
| Carol Hall | ... | Polly Peachum |
 | Roger Daltrey | ... | Macheath |
| Gawn Grainger | ... | Ben Budge |
| Anthony Pedley | ... | Matt of the Mint |
 | Ken Stott | ... | Jemmy Twitcher |
| Don Estelle | ... | Crook Fingered Jack |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Rosemary Ashe | ... | Lucy Lockit |
| Peter Bayliss | ... | Lockit |
| John Benfield | ... | Jailer |
| Isla Blair | ... | Jenny Diver |
| Gaye Brown | ... | Mrs. Trapes |
| Tim Brown | ... | Robin of Bagshot |
| Jeannie Crowther | ... | Mrs. Coaxer |
| Jacqueline Davis | ... | Molly Brazen |
| Derek Deadman | ... | Drawer |
| Paddy Navin | ... | Suky Tawdry |
| Leslie Sarony | ... | Nimming Ned |
 | Iris Saunders | ... | Betty Doxy |
| Elayne Sharling | ... | Dolly Trull |
| Lucy Skeaping | ... | Mrs. Slammekin |
| Peter Spraggon | ... | Harry Paddington |
| Kay Stonham | ... | Mrs. Vixen |
| Richard Suart | ... | Wat Dreary |
Directed by | |||
| Jonathan Miller | |||
Writing credits | ||
| John Gay | (by) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| John Barclay | .... | vision mixer | |
Music Department | |||
| Jeremy Barlow | .... | music arranger | |
| Paul Daniel | .... | assistant musical director | |
| English Baroque Soloists | .... | music performed by | |
| John Eliot Gardiner | .... | conductor | |
| John Eliot Gardiner | .... | music arranger | |
| John Pepusch | .... | music selected by | |
Other crew | |||
| Diana Dill | .... | script supervisor | |
| Sally Gilpin | .... | choreographer | |
| Joanna Gueritz | .... | assistant floor manager | |
Production Companies
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
- RM Arts (in association with)
- Nederlandse Omroepstichting (NOS) (in association with)
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1983) (UK) (TV)
- Arthaus Musik (2009) (worldwide) (DVD)
Additional Details
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Runtime:
UK:135 min
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Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Did You Know?
Movie Connections:
Version of "CBS Television Workshop: The Beggar's Opera (#1.8)" (1952)See more »
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An 
company.
This is a really interesting outing which attempts to be naturalistic with a deeply artificial form. I have watched it tens of times because I love the original and I love this version.
As always, MacHeath and Polly are not terribly likable - which is more a fault of changing mores and the script than the acting.
However, everyone else in the cast is brilliant, with the most amazingly chewy performance by Patricia Routledge as Mrs. Peachum. Peachum and Lockit and Lucy and Filch are all very likable. Bob Hoskins does an excellent cameo.
The production values are really high. The costuming is wonderful. The music is lush. The scenery is appropriately grotty and dark.
The meta-ness of the attempt to be natural with it can turn one's head inside out occasionally, particularly with the lovely ending gallop to "Thus I stand like the Turk", which substitutes for a curtain call. All in all, if you like the play, you should really enjoy this TV-made film.