Monday, August 7, 2017

"Royal Shakespeare Company: Henry IV Part II" (2014)

Director:  Gregory Doran

This series continues to be a good one to aid the understanding of the text, and to see the spirit and manner of a theater/stage performance of plays.

The beginning cast light figures of hash tags to go along with the speech about rumors.

Includes the beginning prologue.  Falstaff's page is more humorously played as if in cahoots with Falstaff's take on things, or at least is along for the ride.  The King's death runs like a long heart-attack scene which may be considered as fair reason for the king's staggering-around doubts about Prince Harry's reformation and intentions having muddied his ability to think and see clearly.  The character of Silence was played as one whose mind tended to wander off making him seem a bit spacey.  Falstaff's draft was played attempting to bring out more of the humor of the scene--Wort played as a humpback.  Prince Hal upon viewing his father on his death bead seems more at a loss for what to do.

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