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Edward II (1970)

| Drama , History | TV Movie 6 August 1970
Edward II Poster
The reign of Edward II, King of England, is troubled from the start, when he brings his male lover, hated by the nobles, out of exile.

Directors:

Richard Marquand, Toby Robertson

Writer:

Christopher Marlowe (play)

Stars:

Ian McKellen, Timothy West, Diane Fletcher | See full cast & crew »
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The Tragedy of King Richard II
Jul 30 1970
Next »
The Tragedy of King Richard II (TV Movie 1970)
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The Tragedy of King Richard II - by William Shakespeare. The actions and repercussions of a proud King, whose vanity and selfishness lead to his downfall.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian McKellen ... King Edward
Timothy West ... Young Mortimer
Diane Fletcher Diane Fletcher ... Queen Isabella
James Laurenson ... Piers Gaveston
Robert Eddison ... Lightborn / Archbishop of Canterbury
Paul Hardwick ... Earl of Warwick / Sir John Maltravers
Trevor Martin Trevor Martin ... Earl of Lancaster / Rice ap Howell
Andrew Crawford Andrew Crawford ... Old Spencer
Bette Bourne ... Edmund of Kent (as Peter Bourne)
David Calder ... Young Spencer
David Strong David Strong ... Robert Baldock
Michael Spice Michael Spice ... Old Mortimer / Sir John Hainault
Stephen Greif ... Earl of Pembroke
Colin Fisher Colin Fisher ... Earl of Arundel
Richard Morant ... Earl of Leicester / Levune
See full cast »
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Storyline

The reign of Edward II, King of England, is troubled from the start, when he brings his male lover, hated by the nobles, out of exile.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

king | earl | regicide | gay interest | homosexual love | See All (43) »

Genres:

Drama | History

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1970 (UK) See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),Prospect Theatre Company See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Edward II (1982) See more »

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User Reviews

 
McKellen and Laurenson shine in a memorable production
29 November 2006 | by mkb-8 – See all my reviews

Shakespeare's Richard II and Marlowe's Edward II were successful stage productions recorded in the studio for BBC Television in the early days of colour transmissions. At that time only the recently inaugurated BBC 2 channel was broadcasting in colour and the new TV sets were very expensive.

I was a university student at the time and watched these outstanding productions in the colour TV lounge in my hall of residence. I've remembered them vividly ever since, particularly the young Ian McKellen's highly charged and sensual performances in the title roles. Those were less enlightened times and young Ian was still firmly 'in the closet' but to my youthful mind his gay sensibility was more than evident, especially in the role of Edward II. James Laurenson was also outstanding as Gaveston.

These landmark productions are crying out for a DVD release.
16 of 19 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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