Wars of the Roses, The: King Henry VI, Part 2

Synopsis
Radio version of the play adapted and produced by Peter Watts and broadcast as part of a sequence of Shakespeare’s histories. With Valentine Dyall as Henry VI and Sonia Dresdel as Margaret of Anjou. The fanfares are composed by John Hotchkis.
Series
Wars of the Roses, The
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Radio
Recording date
23 Oct 1952
Transmission details
2 Nov 1952 at 18:15 (Channel: BBC Third Programme)
Duration
120 mins
Availability
Unknown

Credits

Producer
Peter Watts
Writer
William Shakespeare
Editor
John Dover Wilson
Music
John Hotchkis
Adaptor for Radio
Peter Watts
Cast
Valentine DyallKing Henry VI
Sonia DresdelQueen Margaret
Donald WolfitRichard (Crookback), son of Duke of York
Gordon McLeodHumphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Leonard SachsDuke of Suffolk (William de la Pole)
Andrew LeighDick the Butcher
Antony KeareyVaux
Bill FraserRebel
Bryan PowleyOld Lord Clifford
Charles LenoJack Cade
Dennis ArundellEarl of Warwick
Derek Hart 
Elizabeth London 
Ella MilneEleanor, Duchess of Gloucester
Eric LuggAlexander Iden
Ernest ClarkDuke of Buckingham
Frank Tickle 
Franklyn Bellamy 
Garard Green 
Geoffrey BayldonLord Saye
Geoffrey Bond 
Horace SequeiraRebel
Howieson CuiffCardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester
Hugh FalkusDuke of Somerset
Hugh ManningSir Humphrey Stafford
John GarsideEarl of Salisbury
John GlenEdward, Earl of March
Malcolm HayesYoung Clifford
Mary Williams 
Michael O’Halloran 
Nancy Nevison 
Richard HurndallRaphael Holinshed, the historian
Ronald Sidney 
Rosamund Greenwood 
Stephen JackRichard Plantagenet, Duke of York

Additional Details

Production type
Documentary/Educational/News
Plays
Henry VI part 2
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes
A BBC recording.
Rehearsals: 19/10/1952-23/10/1952
General
The ‘Wars of the Roses’ broadcasting sequence does not open with Henry VI, 1 because the play, according to Dover Wilson, is a "patchwork in which Shakespeare collaborated with inferior dramatists" ('Shakespeare’s Chronicles of the War of the Roses’, Radio Times, 24 October 1952, p. 7).
History
Part of a sequence of history plays broadcast under the title ‘The Wars of the Roses’ from 31/10/1952- 6/11/1952 on BBC Third Programme (see separate entries for each episode).
Textual information
A written transcript of the production is held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.
Reviews
In ‘The Wars of the Roses’ (Radio Times, 31 October 1952, p.11), producer Peter Watts explains how the plays are linked and airs some of the problems they present when produced as a sequence.

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Wars of the Roses, The: King Henry VI, Part 2". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av70354 (Accessed 26 Dec 2024)