Other productions

In this section we look at past productions of Henry IV Part II: John Barton, Peter Hall and Clifford Williams’ 1964 production, part of ‘The Wars of the Roses’ cycle; Terry Hands’ production in 1975, the second instalment of his Lancastrian trilogy; and Trevor Nunn’s 1982 production, the second part of the opening double-bill at the Barbican Theatre in London.

All productions of Shakespeare have one thing in common: the text. They can differ greatly because each text is open to interpretation and every director and their company makes different interpretative choices in the rehearsal room.

Here we delve into our archive to give you a snapshot of our creative process behind the productions. You can see previously-unseen production records, reviews, production and rehearsal photos to give you an insight of the depth of work that goes on behind the scenes of our productions.

JOHN BARTON, PETER HALL AND CLIFFORD WILLIAMS' 1964 PRODUCTION

Negotiating with the rebels

“I take your princely word for these redresses” Archbishop of York, Act 4 Scene 1

In Henry IV Part II a band of rebels led by the Archbishop of York unite under the banner of religion and hail the dead Richard II as the truly anointed king murdered by the usurper Bolingbroke (Henry IV). In this production image, we see the Archbishop and his allies, Lord Hastings and Mowbray seated at one end of a long bench with Prince John and Westmorland facing them at the other end. Just visible upstage centre is the dark trunk of a tree which references the location of Gaultree Forest. John Bury’s contemporary and adaptable set designs influenced our productions for many years.

Photo by Tom Holte Photographic Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Browse and license our images

Doll Tearsheet's costume

“You make fat rascals, Mistress Doll” Falstaff, Act 2 Scene 4

Here we see in more detail the costume designed by Ann Curtis for Susan Engel who played Doll Tearsheet. A friend of Mistress Quickly, the hostess of the Boar’s Head Tavern in Eastcheap, Doll is a prostitute and favourite of Falstaff who makes her first appearance in Henry IV Part II. Her uncouth language and quick temper are demonstrated in her exchanges with Falstaff and Pistol. Ann Curtis’s period dress design suggested a mix of slovenliness and sensuality in keeping with the lowlife environment she operated in.

Visiting Justice Shallow

“I am Robert Shallow, sir, a poor esquire of this county, and one of the king’s justices of the peace.” Shallow, Act 3 Scene 2

Here we see how John Bury’s flexible set became rural Gloucestershire with the aid of a wheelbarrow and basket of apples and “sun-washed walls”, Bernard Levin, Daily Mail, 17 April 1964. This production image features the moment when Bardolph announces the imminent arrival of Sir John Falstaff who has made a diversion to Gloucestershire to pick up recruits on his march to the north. The critic Milton Schuman, writing in the Evening Standard, 17 April 1964, was impressed by Roy Dotrice’s transformation from a “vigorous and virile Hotspur” in Henry IV Part I to a comically “pinched” Justice Shallow in Part II. Versatility was also demonstrated by Clive Swift who played both Poins and Shallow’s friend, Silence.

Photo by Tom Holte Photographic Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Browse and license our images

Henry IV Part II, 1964 programme

The 1964 production of Henry IV Part II, the third instalment in the cycle of history plays known as The Wars of the Roses, opened in Stratford-upon-Avon to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. The season had the largest company (nearly 80 actors) ever seen at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at that time. Directed by John Barton, Peter Hall and Clifford Williams, the production emphasised the passage of time, disease and death. The sense of decline was personified by Falstaff, seen here on the programme’s cover, whose joviality was tinged with sadness as he increasingly became aware of his mortality. The production’s tone was set from the beginning by the realistic depiction of Rumour as a maimed soldier and the skeletons on a cart.

Teaser for Henry IV Part II, 1964

“NEXT THE Second part of Henrie the fourth, continuing to his death, and coronation of Henrie the fift. With the humours of Sir John Falstaffe, and swaggering Pistoll.”

This image shows the back cover of the 1964 programme for Henry IV Part I which featured a witty advertisement for Part II, emphasizing the continuity of the history cycle. In the programme for Part II, the directors (John Barton, Peter Hall and Clifford Williams) summarised their view of the play: “Complex rhythms…beautifully organised but extremely difficult structure…disturbing analysis of power…the retribution visited upon the ungoverned and unbridled in every section of society…cynicism…danger.” Their production highlighted social detail in a cross-section of the country, whether it was the smoke-blackened beams of a London tavern or the sunnier glow of rural Gloucestershire.

Poins and Hal pose as waiters

“A shallow young fellow: he would have made a good pantler, he would have chipped bread well.” Falstaff, Act 2 Scene 4

This production photo shows Poins (Clive Swift), Falstaff (Hugh Griffiths), Doll Tearsheet (Susan Engel) and Prince Hal (Ian Holm) as the young men rebuke Falstaff for slandering them while they were disguised as waiters. In the performance timings, shown in the previous image, this scene is described as ‘Scene 43. 3rd Boar’s Head’ and at 22 minutes was the longest scene in the production. Prince Hal realises what the good life with Falstaff really means: deceit, swindling, vanity and contempt for the law. Some critics noted that Ian Holm’s Hal was cold and calculating so something of an enigma, whereas Hugh Griffiths’ Falstaff was vice personified but also very human and aware of his physical decay.

Photo by Tom Holte Photographic Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Browse and license our images

Costume designs for The Wars of the Roses

In the 1964 programme for Henry IV Part II we find this striking image of Ann Curtis’s costume designs for The Wars of the Roses cycle. The main design is David Warner’s costume for Richard II, the first production in the history cycle, but we can also see designs for Falstaff and Doll Tearsheet. Ann Curtis designed costumes for several of our productions including Trevor Nunn’s production of Antony and Cleopatra in 1972 and John Barton’s Richard II in 1974. To find out more about her work explore A History of the RSC in 50 Objects and Do Clothes Make the Wo(Man)?.

The passage of time

“We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone.” Lord Hastings, Act 1 Scene 3

The stage manager keeps a record of the timings for each scene and also notes any technical issues with props or special effects that occur during a performance. This information is collated in a show report and by analysing performance timings, it is possible to identify changes in values e.g. more pauses or lengthier scene changes. This image shows the timings for the performance of Henry IV Part II on 18 June 1964. The performance ran for 2 hours 55 minutes, the average duration, and there were three curtain calls at the end. The first scene is numbered ‘36’ because it was part of a cycle starting with Richard II (scenes 1-18) and Henry IV Part I (scenes 19-35).

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Terry Hands' 1975 Production

A reflective Falstaff

“How subject we old men are to the vice of lying” Falstaff, Act 3 Scene 2

The unswept autumnal leaves and leafless branches of Farrah’s uncluttered set evoked melancholy decay. The imagery also served to emphasize a tired society ruled over by an ailing Henry IV and inhabited by characters like Falstaff, Shallow and Silence, for whom time is running out. In this production photo, Falstaff (Brewster Mason) having listened to the nostalgic exaggerations of Justice Shallow in Gloucestershire, considers how time plays tricks with memory.

Photo by Tom Holte Theatre Photographic Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Browse and license our images

Majestic might

This image shows how Farrah’s stunning costume appeared in the production’s coronation scene. A glimmering white sheet was stretched across the stage as the royal entourage lined up on one side with Falstaff and friends on the other. The gleaming and newly crowned Henry V processed downstage to the sound of trumpets. Moments later, he raised his visor and rejected the kneeling Falstaff in a clear gesture of royal power, devoid of personal considerations. In keeping with the melancholy tone of the production “it is Falstaff who finishes the show, drifting to an upstage tree on Farrah’s set and standing alone … listening to a croaking raven” Irving Wardle, Times, 25 June 1975.

Photo by Tom Holte © Tom Holte Photographic Collection (c) Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Browse and license our images

Listing props

In this image of a props list used by stage management, we see the items required to be in place for the ‘Pre-Set’ (on stage when the play begins) and for the ‘Prompt Side Props Table’ (to be carried on from stage left). For the opening scene, designer Farrah scattered the stage with fragments of parchment and an old cannon. In the Epilogue, Rumours’ papers were “set in a trailing mouth of the cannon downstage to just below the level of the ramp D.C. [Downstage Centre], papers secured firmly at the corners with toupée tape.” The toupée tape, usually used for wigs, was probably a double-sided adhesive strip which could easily be applied and removed, ideal for repeated use

A borrowed crown

“An honour snatched with boist’rous hand” Henry IV, Act 4 Scene 5

Emrys James’ neurotic Henry IV had howled like a wolf at the prospect of Prince Hal as England’s future king so his extreme anguish when he discovered that his crown was missing was tremendous. This production image shows the moment when the King chastises Prince Hal (Alan Howard) for taking the crown and lunges to retrieve it. The subsequent death-bed reconciliation between father and son was considered a moment of real emotional connection as they were united by the bond of kingship and its responsibilities. Alan Howard ‘s Prince Hal reflected the inner anguish of man making the painful transition from fun-loving prince to “a world of care” as king.

Photo by Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Browse and license our images

Shallow and Silence recall days past

“O, the mad days that I have spent! And to see how many of mine old acquaintance are dead!” Shallow, Act 3 Scene 2

Terry Hands was commended for successfully mixing the themes of fun and mortality in the production, not least in the rural Gloucestershire scenes. In this production image, Justices Shallow (Sydney Bromley) and Silence (Trevor Peacock) discuss the past and present with hilarious bathos. Trevor Peacock conveyed Silence’s extreme age by adopting a bent-over posture which contrasted dramatically with his lively interpretation of Poins The rural setting was created by skilfully combining Farrah’s sparse stage with sound effects: “ a bridge of tree-branches across the stage from which birds sing when we are in the country” B.A. Young, The Financial Times, 25 June 1975.

Photo by Joe Cocks Studio Collection © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Browse and license our images

Aldwych Theatre programme 1976

Terry Hands’ 1975 production of Henry IV Part II formed part of a Lancastrian trilogy, which included Henry IV Part I and Henry V and marked the centenary of the foundation of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, The trilogy demonstrated how an individual (Prince Hal) is shaped by social and political influences. Henry IV Part II continued the education of Prince Hal (Alan Howard) which culminated in his transformation from playboy to monarch. Brewster Mason’s Falstaff, seen here on the programme cover for the 1976 Aldwych Theatre transfer of the show, was a sympathetically fallible figure.

Sound plot

“And lull'd with sound of sweetest melody?” Henry IV, Act 3 Scene I

Terry Hands’ production was notable for inventive sound effects and the economic staging of scenes with a smaller cast than the 1964 Henry IV Part II. This image shows the Sound Plot for the opening scenes which told the stage manager or sound operator what, where and when a sound effect took place. The prologue, usually spoken by Rumour, consisted of a chorus of hooded figures who dispersed into different characters at the end. The last line “worse than true wrongs” was the cue for the ominous sound of rooks. Other sound effects included dogs and ravens as well as percussion e.g.“Timp[ani] rumble starts”. For modern productions, we can draw on a huge library of sound effects and together with live music, they can be blended with the actors’ voices during the technical rehearsals.

Golden coronation costume

“To be a King and wear a crown is more glorious to them that see it, than it is pleasure to them that bear it” Elizabeth I, The Farewell Speech, 1601

Henry V’s coronation scene displayed the stunning imagery of Terry Hands’ production. Alan Howard (Prince Hal/Henry V) was literally transformed from head to foot into a shimmering creature. The coronation costume, designed by Farrah, was completely covered in gold sequins producing a striking effect, visible in this image of the suit and cloak. The golden accessories included a mask, crown, gloves and boots. The complete outfit highlighted the distinction between Henry the prince and Henry the king.

Launch Gallery

Terry Nunn's 1982 Production

Electrifying rejection

“Presume not that I am the thing I was” Henry V, Act 5 Scene 5

Gerard Murphy as Prince Hal reached a milestone on his road to political maturity when he was crowned Henry V. In this production image, we see the new king, beautifully attired in his majestic robes, delivering a devastating rejection of Falstaff (Joss Ackland), who has interrupted the stately proceedings with his embarrassing shouts. John Napier’s galleried set provided different vantage points for the onstage spectators, resembling the jetties (projecting upper stories) of the timber-framed buildings which were so common in Shakespeare’s London. The real Henry V was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 9 April 1413, on a snowy day. In the Chantry Chapel of Westminster Abbey are two carvings which depict Henry V’s coronation.

Troublesome crown

“O Polished Perturbation! Golden Care” Prince Hal, Act 4 Scene 2

The emotional climax of the production was the deathbed scene, where Prince Hal seizes the crown from his supposed dead father, as shown in this production photo. The subsequent reconciliation scene was the only time that Prince Hal (Gerard Murphy) and his father (Patrick Stewart) bonded and was the turning point in the prince’s growth from impulsive hedonist to sober sovereign. James Fenton’s review for the Sunday Times, 13 June 1982, summed up a key theme of the production: “Father and Son: the burden of the hollow crown”.

Shallow memory

“Age and decay in the late afternoon sunlight” Michael Billington, Guardian, 11 June 1982

Another slice of English society was illustrated in Justice Shallow’s rural Gloucestershire. Robert Eddison’s Shallow, seen in this production image, was a loveable ditherer who was surprisingly adept at handling a rifle, a feat which drew applause from audiences on occasions, according to the Stage Manager’s reports. If his recollections of his youth at the Inns of Court are to be believed, this pillar of the local establishment was once known as “mad Shallow” and “lusty Shallow”. He paints a nostalgic picture of himself as a rakish dare-devil who once knew where the best “bona-robas” (attractive prostitutes) lived. Falstaff takes great delight in deflating this exaggerated image.

A dissolute duo

“I love thee better than I love e’er a scurvy young boy of them all” Doll Tearsheet, Act 2 Scene 4

Trevor Nunn’s sharp social observations were evident in the Eastcheap tavern scenes. This was a world inhabited by an increasingly melancholic Falstaff , for whom drinking and vice were mere diversions, as well as “a psychopathic punk Pistol (Mike Gwilym), a Doll Tearsheet full of fire (Gemma Jones) and a Mistress Quickly full of gin (Mariam Karlin)” Jack Tinker, Daily Mail, 10 June 1982. In this production photo, Doll Tearsheet (Gemma Jones) and Falstaff (Joss Ackland) enjoy a tender moment together, oblivious that they are being spied on by Prince Hal and Poins.

Alluring strumpets

Crime and depravity have always attracted popular interest, so it’s not surprising that this arresting illustration, reproduced in the 1982 programme, would have resonated with Shakespeare’s contemporaries. The image is a woodcut from the frontispiece of Robert Greene’s Disputes between a Hee Conny-catcher, and a Shee Conny-catcher (1592), in which a strikingly dressed woman with the face of a weasel is talking with a man with a ‘cony’ (rabbit) face. This is a reference to the ingenious methods used by some prostitutes to part gullible customers from their money. Robert Greene (c1558-92) was a contemporary playwright of Shakespeare who is best known for referring disparagingly to him as an “upstart crow”.

Henry IV poster 1982

“An epic start to the RSC’s new era” Evening Standard, 10 June 1982

Fifty years apart, Henry IV Parts I and II were the opening productions of the newly built Stratford Memorial Theatre in 1932, forerunner of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and the new Barbican Theatre in 1982. Here we see the poster for the 1982 production directed by Trevor Nunn, who was praised for his skilful staging of the patchwork of scenes with their emphasis on social realism. Like Terry Hands’ 1975 Production, Nunn focused on Prince Hal’s development but he also demonstrated how the individual is crushed by the wider political reality. Complementing the direction were David Hersey’s evocative lighting and Guy Woolfenden’s memorable music, which conveyed both religious and military themes.

Finale and curtain call

“O thou fond many, with what loud applause” Archbishop of York, Act 1 Scene 3

Here we see the blocking (position on stage of performer) for the Finale and curtain call, which was filed at the back of the stage manager’s prompt-book. As in the case of Rumour’s lines, seen earlier, the performers’ names have been abbreviated to initials. The vertical line indicates the performer in the centre who leads the bow, in this case GM (Gerard Murphy) or JA (Joss Ackland). The curtain call, which became widespread in the 19^th century, is the moment of mutual recognition between the performer and the audience at the end of a performance. The exact positions (blocking) are generally worked out by the director and practised in rehearsals, then recorded by the stage manager.

Sharing Rumour's lines

“Open your ears, for which of you will stop
The vent of hearing when loud Rumour speaks?” Rumour, Induction

Imaginatively, the introductory lines of the play, which are spoken ‘Rumour’, were shared by the company. This image from the stage manager’s prompt-book shows the abbreviations used for each actor, so we know who spoke what. Sometimes a line was spoken by several actors as in the case of line seven “the which in every language I pronounce” (SM = Shelia Mitchell, CT = Colin Tarrant, KW = Kevin Wallace, DF = Dexter Fletcher, MA = Miles Anderson, GT = Graham Turner, BB = Bernard Brown). On other occasions a line was spoken by the whole company, as with the last three lines. The whole effect must have produced an impressive opening to the production.

Launch Gallery

JOHN BARTON, PETER HALL AND CLIFFORD WILLIAMS' 1964 PRODUCTION

Negotiating with the rebels

Doll Tearsheet's costume

Visiting Justice Shallow

Henry IV Part II, 1964 programme

Teaser for Henry IV Part II, 1964

Poins and Hal pose as waiters

Costume designs for The Wars of the Roses

The passage of time

Terry Hands' 1975 Production

A reflective Falstaff

Majestic might

Listing props

A borrowed crown

Shallow and Silence recall days past

Aldwych Theatre programme 1976

Sound plot

Golden coronation costume

Terry Nunn's 1982 Production

Electrifying rejection

Troublesome crown

Shallow memory

A dissolute duo

Alluring strumpets

Henry IV poster 1982

Finale and curtain call

Sharing Rumour's lines

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