Ronald Eyre

Falstaff

This first-rate 1982 production of Verdi’s Falstaff marked the great 20th century Italian maestro Carlo Maria Giulini's return to opera conducting after more than a decade's absence. Renato Bruson leads a brilliant cast as the lovable fat knight Sir John Falstaff, going toe to toe in a series of hijinks with Katia Ricciarelli (Alice Ford) and Brenda Boozer (Meg Page).

Taoism: A Question of Balance

In this landmark 1977 documentary, narrator Ronald Eyre journeys to Taiwan to explore the vibrant and complex world of Chinese folk religion. Facilitated by the pioneering team behind ECHO Magazine—Linda Wu (吳美雲), Huang Yong-song (黃永松), and Yao Meng-chia (姚孟嘉) —the film captures a rare and precious glimpse of 1970s Taiwan, a time when ancient spiritual traditions remained deeply woven into the fabric of daily life. From the thunderous temple festivals and the mystical trances of spirit mediums to the quiet ancestral rites in family halls, "A Question of Balance" examines how the pursuit of the "Way" (the Tao) provides a sense of cosmic harmony amidst a modernizing society. It stands as a definitive visual record of a vanishing era, showcasing the enduring power of Taoist belief and its diverse pantheon of deities.

A Crack in the Ice

A comedy about injustice set in St Petersburg in 1839. The Tsar has tightened up security and mounted a round-the-clock guard at his palace - the Peter and Paul Fortress. Unfortunately for Private Postnikov, he hears the cries of a drowning man and goes to his rescue. The rest follows.

Clean Sweep

The death of a factory owner signals a change for all of the staff, none more so than a sheet metal worker called Watson, who is denied a promised promotion and finds his position as the unofficial leader of the sheet metal workers challenged by Gregg, a new apprentice who joins the factory and isn't willing to follow the accepted order.

Last Bus

Late at night a gang of young men refuse to pay their bus fares, and assault the conductor. None of the other passengers or the driver intervene. After the incident everybody involved is interviewed in the studio about why they behaved as they did. Scene’s first play, specially commissioned for the series, was repeated late at night for an adult audience in December 1968, and shown again for schools to mark 25 years of Scene in 1993.

The Wednesday Play

An anthology series of television plays which aired on BBC1 from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually written for television, although adaptations from other sources also featured.

BBC Play of the Month

A BBC television anthology series featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different work, often using prominent British stage actors in the leading roles. The series was transmitted from October 1965 to September 1983.

Theatre 625

Theatre 625 is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production and transmission being in the higher-definition 625-line format, which only BBC2 used at the time.