Henry IV, Part 2 (1990, Michael Bogdanov) part 4 of 15

Shakespeare's "King Henry IV, Part 2" from "The War of the Roses" (English Shakespeare Company, UK, 1990) is a direct filming, from the stage, of Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington's 7-play sequence based on Shakespeare's history plays.

Henry Prince of Wales - Michael Pennington
Bardolph - Colin Farrell (actor born 1938)
Poins - Charles Dale
Lady Percy - Ann Penfold
Earl of Northumberland - Roger Booth
Lady Northumberland - Susanna Best
Doll Tearsheet - Francesca Ryan
Falstaff - Barry Stanton
Falstaff's Page - John Tramper
Mistress Quickly - June Watson

Director Michael Bogdanov

G. C.Verplanck on King Henry IV, part 2:

It is, however, inferior to its predecessor as a work of dramatic art, though, in my judgment, not at all so as a work of genius. It is not as perfect as the other as an historical tragi-comedy, as on its tragic side it has a less vivid and sustained interest, and approaches in those scenes more to the dramatized chronicle; in fact, adhering much more rigidly to historical authority, and deviating from it very little except in compressing into connected continuous actions events really separated by years. Its nobler characters have much less of chivalric and romantic splendour, and its action less of stage interest and effect, and its poetry far less of kindling and exciting fervour.

But on the comic side of the play there is no flagging either of spirit or invention. On the contrary, the humour, if perhaps less lively and sparkling, is still more rich and copious. It overflows on all sides. The return of a character of comic invention in a second part is a hard test of originality and fertility, which even Don Quixote and Gil Bias did not stand without some loss of the charm of our first acquaintance with them.

Falstaff's humour, as well that which he exhibits in his character as that which he utters, is more copious, more luxuriously mirthful, and—if the phrase may be allowed—more unctuous than ever: Those of his companions, whose acquaintance we made in the first part, lose nothing of their droll effect; and our new acquaintances, Shallow, Slender, etc., are still more amusing. The scenes in which these last figure give us a delightful peep into the habits of the rural gentry of old England, and, as mere history, are worth volumes of antiquarian research.

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Entertainment

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• Shakespeare
• King-Henry-IV
• 2H4
• Falstaff
• Barry-Stanton
• Michael-Pennington
• play
• theatre
• English-history