A Midwinter’s Tale on VHS. Starring Richard Briers, Hetta Charnley, Joan Collins, Nicholas Farrell, Mark Hadfield, Gerard Horan, Celia Imrie, Michael Maloney, Jennifer Saunders, Julia Sawalha, John Sessions. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. 1995.
From the box:
“… an ‘absolutely fabulous’ instant classic.” — Daphne Davis Movie & Video
Joe Harper is in a rut. His girlfriend just left him and he hasn’t had an acting job in over a year. In a last-ditch effort to build his self-esteem and renew his faith in his chosen profession, Joe spends the last of his savings (plus a loan from his agent) to direct a Christmas production of Hamlet in the sleepy English village of Hope. His open casting call brings a string of misfit performers to audition, and from this very shallow talent pool, Joe enlists six eccentric characters who each have problems of their own. With only two weeks between first rehearsal and opening night, Joe and his eclectic band of thespians tackle both the Bard’s greatest play and their own inadequacies and fears, with surprising — and often hilarious — results.
DVD Upgrade: A Midwinter’s Tale
