Television Henry VI, Part 1

joan (brenda blethyn) faces off against talbot (trevor peacock) during siege of orléans. note brightly coloured adventure playground set, stands out against studio-bound parquet flooring.

inspired notion political intrigues behind wars of roses seemed playground squabbles, howell , production designer oliver bayldon staged 4 plays in single set resembling children s adventure playground. however, little attempt made @ realism. example, bayldon did not disguise parquet flooring ( stops set literally representing [...] reminds in modern television studio ), , in 4 productions, title of play displayed within set (on banners in 1 henry vi , 2 henry vi (where visible throughout entire first scene), on shroud in 3 henry vi, , written on chalkboard richard himself in richard iii). many critics felt these set design choices lent production air of brechtian verfremdungseffekt. stanley wells wrote of set intended invite viewer accept play s artificiality of language , action, michael hattaway describes anti-illusionist, susan willis argues set allows productions reach theatrically toward modern world , ronald knowles writes major aspect of set subliminal suggestion of childlike anarchy, role-playing, rivalry, game , vandalism, if culture precariously balanced on shaky foundations of atavistic aggression , power-mad possession. element of verfremdungseffekt in production seen when gloucester , winchester encounter 1 @ tower, both on horseback, horses ride hobby-horses, actors (david burke , frank middlemass respectively) cause pivot , prance speak. ridiculousness of situation works undercut characters dignity , status. anti-illusionist set used means of political commentary; 4 plays progressed, set decayed , became more , more dilapidated social order became more fractious. in same vein, costumes become more , more monotone 4 plays move on. first part of henry sixt features brightly coloured costumes distinguish various combatants 1 another, tragedy of richard iii, fights in coloured dark costumes, little differentiate 1 army another. graham holderness saw howell s non-naturalistic production of reaction bbc s adaptation of henriad in seasons 1 , two, had been directed david giles in traditional , straightforward manner favoured series producer cedric messina; messina saw history plays conventionally orthodox tudor historiography, , [david giles] employed dramatic techniques allow ideology free , unhampered passage spectator, jane howell takes more complex view of first tetralogy as, simultaneously, serious attempt @ historical interpretation, , drama peculiarly modern relevance , contemporary application. plays, director, not dramatisation of elizabethan world picture sustained interrogation of residual , emergent ideologies in changing society [...] awareness of multiplicity of potential meanings in play required decisive , scrupulous avoidance of television or theatrical naturalism: methods of production should operate open plays out, rather close them recognisable familiarity of conventional shakespearean production.

for part, howell s adaptation taken word-for-word first folio, relatively minor differences. example, adaptation opens differently play, henry vi singing lament father. difference fastolf s escape rouen seen rather merely mentioned. worth noting act 5, scene 1 , act 5, scene 2 reversed act 4, scene 7 , act 5, scene 2 form 1 continuous piece. additionally, numerous lines cut every scene. of more notable omissions include; in act 1, scene 1, absent bedford s references children crying , england becoming marsh since henry v died: posterity await wretched years/when, @ mothers moistened eyes, babes shall suck,/our isle made marish of salt tears,/and none women left wail dead. (ll.48–51). in act 1, scene 2, alençon s praise of resoluteness of english army absent: froissart, countryman of ours, records/england olivers , rolands bred/during time edward third did reign./more may verified,/for none samsons , goliases/it sendeth forth skirmish. (ll.29–34). in act 1, scene 3, of dialogue between gloucester , winchester outside tower absent (ll.36–43), whilst in act 1, scene 5, talbot s complaint french wanting ransom him prisoner of less worth: baser man-of-arms far,/once in contempt have bartered me—/which i, disdaining, scorned, , crav d death/rather vile-esteemed (ll.8–11). in act 1, scene 7, of charles praise of joan absent: statelier pyramis ll rear/than rhodope s of memphis ever was./in memory of her, when dead,/her ashes, in urn more precious/than rich-jewelled coffer of darius,/transported shall @ high festivals/before kings , queens of france (ll.21–27). in act 3, scene 1, of warwick’s attack on winchester absent: see mischief – , murder –/hath been enacted through enmity (ll.27–28). in act 4, scene 6, of dialogue between talbot , john has been removed (ll.6–25). interesting omissions come in act 4, scene 7. in scene, twelve of joan s sixteen lines have been cut; entire 7 line speech says john talbot refused fight because woman (ll.37–43); first 3 lines of 5 line mockery of lucy s listing of talbot s titles, here s silly, stately style indeed./the turk, two-and-fifty kingdoms hath,/writes not tedious style (ll.72–75); , first 2 lines of 4 line speech mocks lucy, think upstart old talbot s ghost,/he speaks such proud commanding spirit (ll.86–88). these omissions reduce joan s role in scene virtual spectator, , coupled this, brenda blethyn portrays character if troubled (presumably loss of contact fiends ).

another notable stylistic technique used in adaptation multiple addresses direct-to-camera. more in of sequels, adaptation of 1 henry vi has multiple characters addressing camera continually throughout play, oftentimes comic effect. noticeable scene in respect act 2, scene 3, talbot meets countess of auvergne. of dialogue prior line 32 ( if thou he, thou art prisoner ) delivered direct camera, including incredulous description of difference between real talbot, , reports has heard of him. @ 1 point during speech, auvergne exclaims alas, child, silly dwarf (l.21), @ point talbot himself looks @ camera in disbelief. comedy of scene enhanced having 5-foot 10 actor trevor peacock playing talbot, , 6-foot 3 actress joanna mccallum playing auvergne. elsewhere, addresses camera found throughout play. example, bedford, gloucester, exeter , winchester leave in act 1, scene 1, each 1 reveals intentions direct-to-camera (ll.166–177).

other examples joan s confession of got sword (1.2.100–101); mayor s last 2 lines @ tower (1.3.89–90); talbot s thoughts whirl d potter s wheel./i know not nor do./a witch, fear, not force, hannibal,/drives our troops , conquers lists (1.6.19–22); of mortimer s monologue prior arrival of richard (2.5.22–32); richard s plantagenet, see, must hold tongue,/lest said, speak, sirrah, when should:/must bold verdict enter talk lords? /else have fling @ winchester (3.1.61–64); exeter s soliloquy @ end of act 3, scene 1 (ll.190–203); exeter s soliloquy @ end of act 4, scene 1 (ll.182–194); of dialogue between suffolk , margaret ignore 1 (5.4.16–64); , suffolk s soliloquy, closes play (5.6.102–109). to-camera joan s poor market folks come sell corn (3.2.14), delivered if translation of preceding line benefit of non-french speaking audience.

in 1964, austrian channel orf 2 presented adaptation of trilogy leopold lindtberg under title heinrich vi. cast list production has been lost. in 1969, german channel zdf presented filmed version of first part of peter palitzsch s 1967 two-part adaptation of trilogy in stuttgart, heinrich vi: der krieg der rosen 1. second part, eduard iv: der krieg der rosen 2, screened in 1971.