Performance Henry VI, Part 1

poster michael boyd s 2000 production

after original 1592 performances, complete text of 1 henry vi seems have been acted. first definite performance after shakespeare s day on 13 march 1738 @ covent garden, in seems have been stand-alone performance, there no record of performance of either 2 henry vi or 3 henry vi. next performance in england didn t occur until 1906, when f.r. benson presented play @ shakespeare memorial theatre in production of shakespeare s 2 tetralogies, performed on 8 nights. far can ascertained, not first performance of octology, first definite performance of both tetralogy , trilogy. benson himself played henry , wife, constance benson, played margaret.

in 1953, douglas seale directed production of 1 henry vi @ birmingham repertory theatre, following successful productions of 2 henry vi in 1951 , 3 henry vi in 1952. 3 plays starred paul daneman henry , rosalind boxall margaret, 1 henry vi featuring derek godfrey talbot , judi dench joan.

a 1977 production @ royal shakespeare theatre made of unedited status. terry hands presented 3 henry vi plays alan howard henry , helen mirren margaret. though production had moderate box office success, critics lauded alan howard s unique portrayal of henry. howard adopted historical details concerning real henry s madness performance, presenting character on brink of mental , emotional breakdown. possibly reaction recent adaptation of trilogy under general title wars of roses, political – hands attempted ensure own production entirely apolitical. wars of roses study in power politics: central image conference table, , warwick, scheming king-maker, central figure. s not shakespeare. shakespeare goes far beyond politics. politics shallow science. aside howard , mirren, production starred david swift talbot , charlotte cornwell joan.

under direction of michael boyd play presented @ swan theatre in stratford in 2000, david oyelowo henry , keith bartlett talbot. both margaret , joan played fiona bell (as joan burned, bell symbolically rose ashes margaret). play presented 5 other history plays form complete eight-part history cycle under general title england: histories (the first time royal shakespeare company (rsc) had ever attempted stage 8 plays 1 sequence). england: histories revived in 2006, part of complete works festival @ courtyard theatre, henry vi plays again directed boyd, , starring chuk iwuji henry , keith bartlett reprising role talbot. katy stephens played both margaret , joan. when complete works wrapped in march 2007, history plays remained on stage, under shorter title histories, part of two-year thirty-four actor ensemble production. 1 henry vi performed under title henry vi, part 1: war against france. @ end of two-year programme, entire octology performed on four-day period under title glorious moment; richard ii staged on thursday evening, followed 2 henry iv plays on friday afternoon , evening, 3 henry vi plays on saturday (two afternoon performances , 1 evening performance), , richard iii on sunday evening.

boyd s production garnered attention @ time because of interpolations , additions text. notably, boyd introduced new character trilogy. called keeper, character never speaks, upon death of each major character, keeper (played edward clayton in 2000, , anthony bunsee in 2006/2007), wearing red, walk onto stage , approach body. actor playing body stand , allow himself led off-stage figure. production particularly noted realistic violence. according robert gore-langton of daily express, in review of original 2000 production, blood severed arm sprayed on lap. human liver slopped floor feet. eyeball scudded past, tongue.

in 2012, trilogy staged @ shakespeare s globe part of globe globe festival, each play performed different balkans based company , offered commentary on recent history of violence in region. 1 henry vi staged national theatre belgrade, directed nikita milivojević, , starring hadzi nenad maricic henry, nebojša kundačina talbot , jelena djulvezan joan. in 2013, nick bagnall directed production of trilogy @ globe. 3 plays performed each day, beginning @ midday, under overall title henry vi: 3 plays. 1 henry vi performed under title henry vi: harry sixth. each of plays edited down 2 hours, , entire trilogy performed cast of fourteen actors. on several specific dates, plays performed @ actual locations of original events took place , streamed live theatre; battlefield productions staged @ towton (battle of towton 3 henry vi), tewkesbury (battle of tewkesbury 3 henry vi), st albans cathedral (first battle of st albans 2 henry vi , second battle of st albans 3 henry vi), , monken hadley common (battle of barnet 3 henry vi). production starred graham butler henry, mary doherty margaret, andrew sheridan talbot , beatriz romilly joan.

apart 1738 performance @ covent garden (about nothing known), there no evidence of 1 henry vi having ever been performed stand-alone play, unlike both 2 henry vi (which staged single play douglas seale in 1951) , 3 henry vi (which staged single play katie mitchell in 1994).

outside uk, first major american performance in 1935 @ pasadena playhouse in california, directed gilmore brown, part of production of ten shakespearean histories (the 2 tetralogies, preceded king john , proceeded henry viii).

in europe, unedited stagings of play took place @ weimar court theatre in 1857. directed franz von dingelstedt, performed sixth part of octology, 8 plays staged on ten-day period. major production staged @ burgtheater in vienna in 1873, celebrated performance friedrich mitterwurzer winchester. jocza savits directed production of tetralogy @ munich court theatre in 1889 , again in 1906. in 1927, saladin schmitt presented unedited octology @ municipal theatre in bochum. denis llorca staged tetralogy 1 twelve-hour piece in carcassonne in 1978 , in créteil in 1979.