Henry IV: Part 1

"With his crown under threat from enemies both foreign and domestic, Henry IV prepares for war. Having deposed the previous king, he is only too aware how tenuous his position is, and the price to be paid if he falters. As his father prepares to defend his crown, Prince Hal is languishing in the taverns and brothels of London, revelling in the company of his friend, the notorious Sir John Falstaff. With the onset of war, Hal and Falstaff are thrust into the brutal reality of the battlefield, where Hal must confront his responsibilities to family and throne. Press Reviews "Shakespeare's two greatest plays have always been a defining experience for RSC directors. Gregory Doran now puts his decisive seal on the company by offering a production that, like last year's Richard II, combines richness of texture with psychological insight. It also contains a major performance from Antony Sher as Falstaff. " (The Guardian) "Sher is surrounded by a crack company amongst whom I particularly enjoyed Paola Dionisotti's Dot Cotton-like take on Mistress Quickly and the Shallow and Silence combo of Oliver Ford Davies and Jim Hooper who sublimely blend fathomless gloom and mad merriment. Strongly recommended." (The Independent) "What a walloping spectacle the Royal Shakespeare Company gives us with its two Henry IV plays. They are staged in the expansive manner, the acting fruity, the lighting full of oranges and blues. " (The Daily Mail) "He has played Richard III, Shylock, Leontes, Macbeth and Prospero to huge acclaim. But can Sir Antony Sher, one of our most Shakespeare-steeped theatrical knights, give us a Falstaff to remember? .... The answer is yes. A benign grin plastered on his rubicund face, this big-bearded, pot-bellied knave is first seen emerging from the bedclothes under which Alex Hassell's lusty Harry has been romping with two maids. " (The Daily Telegraph) "Visually Greg Doran's new production is a treat. A great interpretation." (What's On Stage) "Antony Sher is an insatiable and ebullient Falstaff. It's a performance that combines clarity and complexity - fruity, throaty, here and there a little overripe but always generous and detailed. He captures the warmth of Shakespeare's famously flawed knight - his delight in excess, blustering vitality and sparks of youthful exuberance. And even when he's at his most outrageous, Sher's Falstaff wears the expression of an affronted storyteller who can't quite believe that we don't find him winningly modest." (The Evening Standard) "Opening in the run-up to the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, these productions are a real treat: intelligent, accessible and superbly performed. Sher's Falstaff is a joy, but the same can be said about so much of both these productions." (The Stage) Cast Jasper Britton (Henry IV) Antony Sher (Falstaff) Alex Hassell (Hal) Trevor White (Hotspur) Sean Chapman (Earl of Northumberland/Earl of Douglas ) Youssef Kerkour (Earl of Westmoreland ) Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Prince John) Stage Director: Gregory Doran Designer: Stephen Brimson Lewis Catalogue Number: OA1162D Date of Performance: 2014 Running Time: 168 minutes Sound: LPCM & DTS Master Audio 5.1 Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic Subtitles: EN/FR/DE Label: Opus Arte"
ASIN: B00RXF77I8
VSKU: DBV.B00RXF77I8.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Shakespeare, William
Binding: Dvd
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Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!