| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (47 min. 6 sec.) ; 282522698 bytes |
| Summary |
A confident conman tries to fool the world's Shakespeare experts by alleging a rare text of 18 of the Bard's plays was given him by his Cuban girlfriend. Eccentric book dealer Raymond Scott walked into Washington DC's Folger Library, the world's leading authority on Shakespeare, with the rare First Folio of the Bard's plays. He claimed it was given to him by his Cuban girlfriend's family. But after extensive detective work, scholars from around the USA and UK soon realised that this copy was far from legitimate. It had been stolen from a glass case at the University of Durham in 1998, just 16km from where Scott was living at the time.The First Folio is the most important printed work in the English language, produced six years after Shakespeare's death, without doubt the foundation of modern English literature. Scott claims he took it in good faith to the Folger Library when he discovered what a 'treasure' his girlfriend Rios had in her hands and he wanted to get it authenticated to share their important discovery with the world. Had he managed to convince the Folger that the Folio was his, he would be a millionaire. But police discovered a colourful past of debts and hidden bank accounts which led them to smell a rat.PRODUCTION DETAILSExecutive Producer: Clare Paterson. Produced and directed by Christian Hills for BBC |
| Event |
Broadcast 2011-09-27 at 20:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Book thefts.
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English literature.
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Plays (Shakespeare, William)
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Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
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Swindlers and swindling -- Prevention.
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England.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Hills, Christian, director
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Tennant, David, cast
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