First performed in 1608-09 and published the same year in a Quarto edition, Pericles was based on John Gower's Confessio amantis, specifically the tale of Apollonius of Tyre.
Unsurprisingly for such a rarely-staged play, there is just one television adaptation of Pericles, inevitably as part of the BBC Television Shakespeare series. This generally well-regarded production, broadcast on 8 December 1984, was directed by David Jones, and featured Mike Gwilym in the title role. A large and starry supporting cast included Annette Crosbie, Trevor Peacock, Edward Petherbridge, Amanda Redman, Juliet Stevenson, Clive Swift and John Woodvine. The same evening saw the broadcast of a companion-piece Shakespeare in Perspective, presented by the writer, poet and broadcaster P.J. Kavanagh.
Television
BBC Television Shakespeare, BBC2, tx. 8/12/1984, d. David Jones Documentaries
Shakespeare in Perspective, BBC2, tx. 8/12/1984 , p. P.J. Kavanagh
Michael Brooke
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