In this historical television play, a young Sean Connery plays the Macedonian king whose ambition leads him to conquer the known world.
The play dramatises the life of Alexander the Great (Sean Connery), charting his military campaigns and his transformation from an idealistic youth into a world-weary conqueror. He is supported by his loyal general, Hephaestion (William Russell), but faces opposition from his great rival, King Darius of Persia (Paul Stassino). The narrative follows Alexander’s conquest of the Persian Empire and his complex relationships with those around him, including his mother, the Queen Mother (Margaretta Scott), and his Persian wife, Roxana (Bandana Das Gupta).
This ambitious, feature-length production was a significant television event, mounting Terence Rattigan’s celebrated historical play for a mass audience. Broadcast live, the play gave an early leading role to Sean Connery, just one year before he achieved global stardom as James Bond. His performance as the Macedonian conqueror is a portrait of idealism corrupted by absolute power. The production, directed by Rudolph Cartier, uses the scale of the epic story to construct a psychological drama, examining the cost of ambition and the isolation of a leader. It remains a notable example of the BBC’s commitment to prestige theatrical adaptations during the period.
Broadcast: BBC, 12 June 1961
Written by: Terence Rattigan
Director: Rudolph Cartier
Main Cast: Sean Connery (Alexander, King of Macedon), Margaretta Scott (Queen Mother), William Russell (Hephaestion), Lyndon Brook (Philotas), Paul Stassino (King Darius), William Devlin (Parmenion), Alan Tilvern (Prince Bessus), Michael Brennan (Cleitus), Ann Dimitri (Queen Statira), Bandana Das Gupta (Roxana)
