Man and Superman was the first drama to be broadcast on the BBC’s Third Program on October 1, 1946. To celebrate Radio 3’s fiftieth anniversary, the play was directed by Sir Peter Hall, and preserved for all time in this lush audio dramatization.
“A comedy and a philosophy,” Man and Superman is based on the Don Juan theme, and using all the elements from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Shaw reordered them so that Don Juan becomes the quarry instead of the huntsman.
Boasting an outstanding cast including Ralph Fiennes, Juliet Stevenson, Dame Judi Dench, John Wood, Nicholas Le Prevost, and Paul Merton, this release includes an exclusive interview with director Sir Peter Hall.
George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), Irish-born playwright, critic, and political activist, began his writing career in London. In addition to writing sixty-three plays, his prodigious output as critic, pamphleteer, and essayist influenced numerous social issues. In 1925, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature and in 1938 an Oscar for the movie version of Pygmalion.
Dame Judi Dench, one of the foremost actors of our day, has won numerous major awards for her work on both stage and screen, including an Academy Award, ten BAFTAs, and a record eight Laurence Olivier Awards. In recognition of her many achievements she received an OBE in 1970, became a DBE in 1988, and in 2005 was awarded a Companion of Honour.
Ralph Fiennes is a two-time Academy Award nominee, first nominated for his role in the Oscar-winning film Schindler’s List. His role in that film earned him a Golden Globe nomination and a BAFTA Award, as well as honors from numerous other film critics organizations. His second nomination was for The English Patient. His other film credits include The Reader, The Hurt Locker, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Skyfall, and many more.