HENRY IV PARTS 1 AND 2: Shakespeare: RSC, The Swan

HENRY IV PARTS 1 AND 2: William Shakespeare

RSC: The Swan: Stratford Upon Avon

Review: Rod Dungate, 14th May 2000

Real magical quality . . .wonderful central performances with acting of the highest quality.

Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 are the second step of Shakespeare's history plays to be staged in the RSC's millennium celebration of the whole history cycle. I was surprised how strong the sense of continuity was as the play opened: all the stronger, of course, because some of the characters (and actors) carry through.

David Troughton brings a matter-of-factness to Henry VI: there is a real sense of him not quite fitting into his royal role. He replaced Richard and took the crown for the country's good but feels guilty about having done it. Troughton brings the formal weight to the role we would expect but shows great sensitivity when he gives his son (the future Henry V) a dressing down. Although properly stern, his whole being changes as he sheds king' and dons father', the great love he has for his wayward son is palpable.

William Houston, Prince Henry, is one of the two wonderful central performances in this production. Houston perfectly captures Henry's pleasure and excitement of living among London's more dubious characters. He also is never devoid of a sense of kingship, there is an attractive honesty about him which I think would make anyone trust him. Just what the later Henry V is about, really.

IV Part 1 stands or falls on the performances of Hal and Falstaff and on the relationship between them. Desmond Barrit is excellent casting for Falstaff. There is a relaxed ease and affection between Barrit and Houston that brings a real magical quality to the sections of the play they share.

Adam Levy brings the same wild energy to Harry Percy that I so much admired in Richard II. His role is much more central in this play: I still like this dangerous quality he has, though (particularly as the play moves towards its conclusion) he does seem vocally out of control.

In Henry IV Part II Shakespeare completes Prince Henry's journey from young tearaway to noble monarch. The play is full of people looking back and there is a real sense of the country being at a watershed.

Sir John Falstaff is pivotal. The young Henry V's eventual dismissal of Falstaff at the end of the play is a beautifully conceived metaphor for Henry arriving at adulthood and majesty. Desmond Barrit's Falstaff is a towering performance and it often seems that this Falstaff is the energy driving the story. Barrit's commanding presence demands your attention, though always true to the requirements of the play. Barrit never misses a comic opportunity but neither does he sentimentalise for a second: you are able to see the correctness of Henry V's dismissal of him and see it without regret, but there is a bitter taste left in your mouth. In the intimate Swan setting this performance is a joy to watch, you realise how subtle Barrit's acting is - and it is acting of the highest quality.

One of the gems in IV Part II is the scene between the two country justices, Silence and Shallow (Peter Copley and Benjamin Whitrow) two characters who spend their whole time looking back to their youth, and, apparently, embellishing it to their own advantage. Whitrow, acting it would appear minus his teeth, is hilariously dotty, though never entirely losing the dark danger that underpins the authority that goes with his job. Copley is quietly vacant, bursting into life occasionally in his second scene. These are two performances you were left wanting to see more of.

Prince Hal's scene with the dying Henry IV (William Houston and David Troughton) is greatly moving: Troughton's portrayal of Henry's emotional turmoil, his disappointment with his son, clearly and painfully evident. It is all the more moving because we remember Troughton as the fiery, energetic and pragmatic Bolingbroke of Richard II, the Bolingbroke determined to build a more worthy country. Houston dons Henry V's royalty with ease though he teeters at times on the edge of a tricksy vocalisation.

Michael Attenborough has directed with energy and thoughfulness. Both plays move seamlessly along, though the opening section of Part 2, which summarises Part 1 could do with attention some dreadful generalised acting here which we could well do without.

2001-09-23 16:16:10