Scofield,
(David) Paul: English actor, perhaps the greatest
of the post-Olivier generation, with a particular
gift for conveying moral worth without seeming
priggish.1
…the
name of
Paul Scofield
remains
synonymous
with superlative,
high-definition
acting.22
...he
didn't speak, but sang. One could listen to his voice,
divorced from the text, as if to music. It was mesmerzing.3
I've
never heard a story about Paul that
isn't moving or funny or generous.42
He
bought our cocker spaniel a beer
in Tobermory, Scotland in
1969. 52
Paul Scofield did a substantial amount of
television drama, radio theatre and spoken word recordings.
Most of these recorded performances
are buried in archives and not available to the general public.
The lists on this website will make it easier for people to
know what's out there and what's available. It will also
present an
overview of Scofield's extremely diverse voice-over work. In
the happy event that BBC and Harper Audio decide to re-released
the recordings — boxed sets of the BBC radio plays and
Caedmon Shakespeare, please — the list could save their
research departments some time.
I'm
hoping that this site can:
- Be
a comprehensive list of Scofield's film, TV, radio theater
and audio works (there's a whole lot more out there one
would imagine, given his legendary reclusiveness)
- Indicate,
when possible, whether a performance has survived (many
were taped over)
- Indicate,
when possible, where the media is physically located
- Indicate
whether it is available to the general public or what
conditions must be met to access it.
- Be
a clearinghouse for information that might lead to the
discovery
of more recordings.
On
this site, I attempt to identify each performance and give
information about its availability, and physical location
and conditions for viewing or listening if copies only
exist in archives. If you know of works that have been
omitted, please e-mail me
the information. Corrections, comments and reminiscences
are very welcome.
Highly
Incomplete and Idiosyncratic Biography
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1) Phyllis
Hartnoll and Peter Found, The Concise Oxford Companion
to the Theatre ©1996, Oxford University Press. (Go
to top)
2) Paul-Scofield's
Lasting Contribution to Theatre by
Dominic Cavendish, Theatre Critic, The
Telegraph,
accessed 27/12/09. (Go to top)
3)
Azary
Messerer. Gifts
Exchanged with
Paul Scofield,
Cardinal
Points Journal,
accessed 7/12/2010. (Go
to top)
4) Felicity
Kendal. Quoted
in He was
the last greatest
of the greats by
Mark Brown,
Arts Correspondent,
The
Guardian,
Friday 21 March
2008. (Go
to top)
5) Iain
Taylor, Exeter, New Hampshire. www.legacy.com (Go
to top)
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Photo:
Copyright 1966, Columbia Pictures Corporation.
About
the background image: This closeup of the Balcombe Viaduct
is the work of the highly talented Aptychus. You find
out
more about this photo and view his other works by clicking
on his photo
page link.
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