Henry VI
- Synopsis
- First of a three-part televised adaptation of Shakespeare’s minor tetralogy (three parts of Henry VI and Richard III) encompassing the period from the loss of the British Empire in France to the founding of the Tudor dynasty. Originally a Royal Shakespeare Company production directed by Peter Hall and John Barton, the four plays were condensed into three screenplays: Henry VI, Edward I and Richard III. This part ends with Margaret lamenting Suffolk’s death (2 Henry VI, IV iv).
- Series
- Wars of the Roses, The
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Television
- Transmission details
- 8 Apr 1965 at 20:00 (Channel: BBC1)
- Duration
- 165 mins
Credits
- Director
- John Barton; Michael Hayes; Peter Hall; Robin Midgley
- Producer
- Michael Barry
- Writer
- William Shakespeare
- Screenplay
- John Barton
- Music
- Guy Woolfenden
- Costume
- John Bury
- Art Direction
- John Bury
- Cast
Additional Details
- Theatre
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre
- Theatre company
- Royal Shakespeare Company
- Production type
- Television and Radio Drama
- Historical period
- Medieval
- Plays
- Henry VI part 1; Henry VI part 2
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
- Related items
- Wars of the Roses Discussion
Notes
- Notes
- A written transcript of the series is held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.
- General
- As reviewers noted, the production went beyond a mere recording of a stage play. Twelve cameras were used to record the performance of a cast of nearly seventy actors on a stage that had been extended to 40 feet to accommodate battle and crowd scenes. The intention was to give a sense of the impact of the stage production televisually. as The Times reviewer enthuses, the BBC directors managed a smooth transference, "changing their visual idiom yet not losing their integrity of meaning: a remarkable achievement".
- History
- Filming was done following the 1964 run of the plays at Stratford-upon-Avon, and took place in the theatre over eight weeks. The cycle was repeated in January and February 1966 when it was re-edited into eleven episodes of 50 minutes and given new titles such as The FEARFUL KING.
A five-minute programme introducing the plays was broadcast on BBC1 4 April 1965 22.05:22.10.
The trilogy was released on DVD in 2016 - see separate entry. - Figures
- Reaction Index 72 (BBC Audience Research). The Reaction Index is a measurement of the quality
and success of the programme with the audience who had watched it. It is based on a range of 0 to 100.) - Textual information
- The text was adapted for screenplay by John Barton.
- Reviews
- "A Shakespearian Experience on TV", The Times, 21.4.1965, p. 13.
Alice V. Griffin, "Shakespeare Through the Camera’s Eye: IV", Shakespeare Quarterly 17 (1966): p. 385.
Production Company
- Name
BBC
- Notes
- The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Archive
- Name
BFI National Archive
- Web
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
- Phone
- 020 7255 1444
- Fax
- 020 7436 0165
- Address
- 21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Henry VI". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av36966 (Accessed 06 Oct 2024)