Red Rose and the White, The

Synopsis: Ninth episode in a fifteen-part televised series comprising Shakespeare’s history plays from Richard II to Richard III (the two tetralogies), effectively presenting a chronological history of British royalty from 1377 to 1485. This episode covers Henry VI, Part 1.
Series: Age of Kings, An
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Television
Transmission details: 25 Aug 1960 at 21:00 (Channel: BBC)
Duration: 60 mins

Director

Michael Hayes

Producer

Writer

Music

Art Direction

Contributor

Arthur Bliss; Eric Crozier; Lionel Salter

Cast

Terry Scully	King Henry VI
Jack May	Richard Plantagenet, later Duke of York
John Ringham	Duke of Gloucester
Eileen Atkins	Joan la Pucelle
Alan Rowe	Duke of Somerset
Anthony Valentine	Alanson (Duke of Alençon)
David Andrews	Bastard of Orléans
Derek Ware	Servant
Edgar Wreford	Duke of Suffolk (William de la Pole)
Frank Windsor	Earl of Warwick
Jeremy Bisley	Warder (Jailer)
Jerome Willis	Charles, Dauphin of France
John Greenwood	Messenger
John Greenwood	Lawyer
John Murray Scott	Messenger
John Warner	Reignier, Duke of Anjou
Julian Glover	Warder (Jailer)
Kenneth Farrington	Servant
Leon Shepperdson	Woodville
Mary Morris	Margaret, daughter of King Reignier
Michael Graham Cox	Lord Mayor (Mayor of London)
Michael Graham Cox	Shepherd
Noel Johnson	Duke of Exeter
Patrick Garland	Duke of Bedford
Robert Lang	Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester
Terry Wale	Messenger
Timothy Harley	Servant
Tony Garnett	Vernon

Notes: 39 actors were used for this episode which cost £2.598 in total. Camera movement is more stylised than in earlier instalments, making allowance for the difference in dramatic style without losing a sense of continuity.
Commercially available on DVD as part of a 5-disc box set from BBC Warner (released March 2009).
General: As Michael Brooke notes, this production was "the most conceptually ambitious Shakespeare project ever attempted for either film or television." Each episode involved expenses of £4.000 and a cast of 600. The rehearsal period took thirty weeks.
History: Transmitted in the US on PBS’ WNEW-TV channel 7 March 1961.
Awards: Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Excellence in Directing (Peter Dews)

1962 The George Foster Peabody Award
Textual information: Script editor Michael Cozier cut the texts into 60 -75 minute episodes which, for the most part, comprised half a complete play.
Reviews: Michael Brooke, "Age of Kings, An (1960)", http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/527213/index.html
A written transcript of the series is being held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.

SHAKESPEARE