9 8 0 ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁End ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Shakespeare ▁Company . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁the atr ical ▁experience ▁which ▁last ed ▁more ▁than ▁ten ▁hours ▁( count ing ▁inter m issions ▁and ▁a ▁dinner ▁break   – ▁the ▁actual ▁playing ▁time ▁was ▁approximately ▁eight - and - a - half ▁hours ). ▁The ▁production ▁received ▁both ▁critical ▁and ▁popular ▁acc laim . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁actors ▁played ▁multiple ▁roles ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁huge ▁number ▁of ▁characters , ▁except ▁for ▁Roger ▁Re es , ▁who ▁played ▁Nicholas , ▁and ▁David ▁Th rel fall , ▁who ▁played ▁S mi ke ▁( due ▁to ▁the ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁time ▁they ▁were ▁on ▁stage ). ▁The ▁play ▁moved ▁to ▁Broadway ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁the ▁R SC ▁had ▁the ▁show ▁recorded ▁as ▁three ▁two - hour ▁and ▁one ▁three - hour ▁episode ▁for ▁Channel ▁ 4 , ▁where ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁channel ' s ▁first ▁drama . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁it ▁was ▁shown ▁on ▁television ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁it ▁won ▁an ▁Em my ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁M ini - Series . ▁This ▁version ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁DVD ▁and ▁re bro ad cast ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁on ▁BBC ▁Four . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁Ed gar ▁prepared ▁a ▁shorter ▁version ▁for ▁a ▁production ▁at ▁the ▁Ch ich ester ▁Festival , ▁which ▁transferred ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁and ▁January ▁ 2