Artemis 81 is a British television play which was written by David Rudkin and directed by Alastair Reid.[1] Commissioned by BBC producer David Rose, it was broadcast by the BBC on 29 December 1981. It was one of the last TV performances from Anthony Steel.[2]
| Artemis 81 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | David Rudkin |
| Directed by | Alastair Reid |
| Starring | Hywel Bennett Sting Roland Curram |
| Country of origin | England |
| Original language | English |
| Original release | |
| Release | 1981 – 1981 |
Plot summary
editOccult novelist Gideon Harlax (Hywel Bennett) is drawn into an epic battle between Helith (Sting), the Angel of Light, and Asrael (Roland Curram), the Angel of Death.
Selected cast
edit- Hywel Bennett - Gideon Harlax
- Dinah Stabb - Gwen Meredith
- Dan O'Herlihy - Albrecht Von Drachenfels
- Sting - Helith
- Roland Curram - Asrael
- Anthony Steel - Tristram Guise
- Margaret Whiting - Laura Guise
- Ian Redford - Jed Thaxter
- Mary Ellen Ray - Sonia
- Cornelius Garrett - Pastor
- Ingrid Pitt - Hitchcock Blonde
- Daniel Day-Lewis - Library Student
- Sylvia Coleridge - Library Scholar
DVD release
editArtemis 81 was released on DVD in 2007.[3] It was incorrectly issued as Artemis '81. The 81 is the number of a star, not a date.[4] The DVD also removes 94 seconds of material due to licensing issues around the use of stills from Alfred Hitchcock films during the scene in Jed Thaxter's office.
Further reading
edit- David Rudkin: Sacred Disobedience: an expository study of his drama 1959-96 by David Ian Rabey, Oxford, Routledge, 1998 ISBN 90-5702-126-9
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Ansorge, Peter (9 September 2011). "Aleister Reid obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (23 September 2020). "The Emasculation of Anthony Steel: A Cold Streak Saga". Filmink.
- ^ "Artemis '81". Amazon UK. 9 July 2007.
- ^ "Welcome to DavidRudkin.com - Artemis 81". Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.