Have a lot of love and appreciation for William Shakespeare, right from studying 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Macbeth' and 'Much Ado About Nothing' in school. His plays have such memorable characters and most have very interesting stories and themes, but it is his way of writing and use of language (always have been fascinating and so much fun to study and analyse) that is the main reason or so to me as to why he and his work is so highly regarded. When it comes to play-writing, although there are some truly great ones, Shakespeare is the quintessential one.
Quality-wise, not all the late 70s/early 80s Shakespeare adaptations forming a series from the BBC are great, but they are still of great interest value and it is great to see productions that are generally faithful and respectful and have distinguished casts. Most with performances that are good or more, not all mind. Even if some have problems with over-faithfulness, lack of imagination and under-budget, and not all the performances in the series have worked for me. 1979's 'Measure for Measure' is one of the best of the series, a terrific introduction to the play and for me it is the first choice. 'Measure for Measure' itself may not be one of Shakespeare's greatest but it does deserve to be known more and performed and adapted more.
Few of the productions in the series are perfect, and some are heavily flawed, this 'Measure for Measure' is near perfect. Some of the language doesn't sound authentic and fit more in a contemporary setting, which jars a bit with the traditional text and production values.
On the other hand, 'Measure for Measure' is an appealing production visually. Not all the productions in the series are, but the simplicity of the sets works here and doesn't look dull or cheap, the colourful costumes stopping either from happening. Actually liked that the prison had a stuff of horrors atmosphere and the use of the cyclorama gave the way the actors moved from one place to another a flow without interrupting what was going on. The photography doesn't fall into the trap of being chaotic, nor does it fall into the trap of being static, the action feels intimate while with enough parts that open things up. The staging never loses flow or energy, the more comedic elements being genuinely amusing, the darker ones suspenseful and the emotional ones genuinely poignant. It is always tasteful, everything serving a point and with no gratuitous or bad taste touches.
A big part of the production's appeal is the acting which is so good that for me it is one of the best-acted adaptations of the BBC Shakespeare series. The wonderful text being delivered by actors with a command of the style and delivering it with feeling and a sense that they know what they're talking about. Occasionally, and there is an emphasis on that, Kenneth Colley tries too hard, but on the whole he is a very sympathetic and compelling presence especially considering he wasn't even the first choice for the role (Alec Guinness was but he turned it down). Kate Nelligan is a touching Isabella and Tim Pigott-Smith's Angelo is menacingly lecherous. Christopher Strauli's interpretation of his final scene is a production high point and one of its most emotional moments, while John McEnery enjoys himself without mugging. Alun Armstrong is always a plus and he doesn't disappoint.
Summarising, terrific and the production of choice of a somewhat under-appreciated play. 9/10 Bethany Cox