BBC Shakespeare: The Hollow Crown, BBC2 / BBC HD

[Nick Armstrong]

I the BBC's Shakespeare of the 1979s - 80s; yet the only thing I really remember from that was Henry VI - who played him? I'm sure Stanley will remember! Tom Surridge was ineffectual here, but not saintly enough.

Peter Benson, jean:



Never saw that... I'm now curious to see it!

Looking forward to last night's, safely recorded

[Nick Armstrong]

I've merged the two parallel threads about this.

Incidentally, no one has mentioned that the presence of the ubiquitous Hugh Bonneville posed a credibility problem - which encourages me that one of my advance misgivings is unfounded. Can't wait to have time to watch it (...retirement... ... )

.

( Where please is Amateur51 - does anybody know!?)

This remains one of the Forum's great unsolved mysteries

[gurnemanz]

Looking forward to last night's, safely recorded

Likewise.

BBC Shakespeare collection is well worth getting. I've watched about half of them so far. Some excellent stuff and they do the full text.

[Stanley Stewart]

Another mesmeric two hours traffic of our stage in watching, Henry VI, Pt 2, last night.
My highest accolade, downright explosive intensely good, stayed in the mind throughout. This cycle seems to summarise the fruition of a new phase in television production. BBC TV productions are usually of a high standard but I sense that a new course has been set for the future with this cycle. Director, Dominic Cooke may be the standard bearer as he has also worked with NT veteran, Ben Power, on judiciously adapating/compressing a vast work into a 3x 2hrs cycle resulting in a lucid and compelling experience.

I still have fond memories of the Globe Theatre production ; the two Henry's and Richard III, visiting York's Theatre Royal in 2012 with options to see all 3 plays in one day on the final Saturday but it's been a real eye-opener to see the TV options signalled in the BBC production; the advantages of the digital era of staging the crowd scenes in battle with quick cutting to underline the savagery and brutality of hand-to-hand combat - some of the violence genuinely horrific. Rapid cutting also useful in coping with the machinations of opposing sides in argument, or registering silent disagreement bringing a degree of lucidity to the narrative. Sinister, too, in instantly reflecting the resentment of a young Richard as his mind ticks over on his options. Benedict Cumberbatch a strong contender in this field. I'm also mindful that many of these changes have been developed over several decades; the actor trained in rib-reserve which frees the verse so that the blank verse sounds naturalistic and enunciation is enhanced by reducing the projection - occasionally with disastrous consequences, I agree,- but, in turn, energy and intensity is not dissipated in the process and the meter of the text is respected. These changes seen to advantage particularly for TV/film recording. A huge complement put to the test in 400 years remembrance of Wm Shakespeare. A mite more than 'rosemary for remembrance'!

Seems like yesterday since I headed for Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theatre, in 1951,
to see my first Henry IV, Pts 1 & 2, when I read about Barry Jackson's production of Henry VI, Pts 1 & 2, at Birmingham Rep, the first revival in the 20th century. However, I had to wait until the late 60s/early 70s, for my baptism of fire with this remarkable cycle.

I'm so pleased to have the TV cycle transferred to DVD, overnight, from HD. Splendid art work in the Radio Times to enhance the larger but slim disc holders I use. Shakespeare always surprises. I sat through Henry VI, Pt II, this afternoon again and was surprised to recognise young Richmond as a boy and to realise his fate some years later in killing Richard III at Bosworth Field. A more unexpected revelation when Benedict Cumberbatch expresses outrage as he ranted against the world, "I am myself alone" but my inner voice prompted a reminder of his exhilaration in Richard III when he exclaims, "Richard's himself again!".

Appreciation of many performances must wait for another day as I'm distracted by the on-going Young Musician contest on BBC 4 - a stop/start contest in mitigation for any howlers above!

[jayne lee wilson]

Utterly brilliant, yes - stunning battle scenes, physically and emotionally, no punches pulled (and few swords parried - most ended up very bloody indeed)...
UptoDate production values, the direction pacy and to-the-point verse spoken as a living dialogue yet articulate & poetic.... wonderful in all the ways that filmed Shakespear so, so often isn't. An epitome.

I loved Tom Sturridge's scenes as The Watcher - the compassionate, peace-seeking King, agonised by the Battle of Towton raging bloodily and tormentingly about him, yet utterly unable to take part....

[Alain Maréchal]

and they do the full text.

Do they? I may have misunderstood, and I have not yet watched it, but are they performing all three parts of Henry VI or filleting them? John Barton maintained that the whole text would not hold an audience, cut it down ruthlessly (and rewrote a lot of it), but I have seen all three parts performed on stage in sequence, and they worked well.

[aeolium]

Do they? I may have misunderstood, and I have not yet watched it, but are they performing all three parts of Henry VI or filleting them? John Barton maintained that the whole text would not hold an audience, cut it down ruthlessly (and rewrote a lot of it), but I have seen all three parts performed on stage in sequence, and they worked well.

I think gurnemanz was referring to the BBC Shakespeare done over 30 years ago, not the present series The Hollow Crown which has been fairly drastically pruned - for instance, the entire section with Jack Cade omitted. I agree with John Barton that it works better dramatically with a reduced text, and there is no great loss of memorable poetry in these works if that is done. I think both episodes have been very well done with a lot of good acting and plenty of mesmerising scenes - but Sturridge's King Henry is a real disappointment. Just because he is a feeble monarch does not mean he has to speak the lines feebly. Ben Wishaw also played a weak king in Richard II but what a difference!

[Alain Maréchal]

the entire section with Jack Cade omitted. I agree with John Barton that it works better dramatically with a reduced text, and there is no great loss of memorable poetry in these works if that is done.

I would miss the Jack Cade scenes; Barton included a lot of it in "The Wars of the Roses" (and cutting them deprives us of "we'll kill all the lawyers" which always brings the house down in the theatre). I disagree with both you and John Barton; I prefer the idea of trusting the playwright and working out how difficult texts can be made to work. I think I'm a "completist" and suspect I may be more interested in the text than the performance.

[aeolium]

I disagree with both you and John Barton; I prefer the idea of trusting the playwright and working out how difficult texts can be made to work. I think I'm a "completist" and suspect I may be more interested in the text than the performance.

There are a good number of Shakespeare plays where I prefer to hear/see the drama with no or minimal cuts, but some plays are just not (imv) as good as others and gain more than they lose from judicious cuts.

[Nick Armstrong]

I’ve now watched both 'Hollow Crown' parts so far. I thought Part 2 was markedly better than Part 1 (the same may be true of the plays themselves). In terms of the production, it was not least because I have to say Hugh Bonneville, playing the key rôle of protector, is imvho simply not a good enough actor to hold his own in that company. I found him wooden (as I thought he was in Downton too) and - call me a Margaret of Anjou groupie - found that things looked up decidedly when he was thrown in jail and then done away with ... Not sure the actor playing Henry VI was quite up to it either in terms of verse speaking.

Part 2 by contrast was engrossing and full of brilliant things. Cumberbatch really cuts the mustard as Richard e.g. watching his younger brother’s throat being cut, his insane cackles while using Clifford’s almost-corpse as a ghastly ventriloquist’s dummy, his sly little look at Edward IV when the latter sets eyes on Elizabeth Woodville for the first time… Henry VI in Lear mode, next-to-naked on the heath, was very powerful (wonderfully shot), likewise the wordless reunion in his cell with his grown-up son and his discarded crown (at which Caliban did shed a tear, forsooth). I loved the 'postman knocks' scene in the French court when Warwick, Louis and Margaret all get letters from London - poor plain Lady Bona’s dreams of being Queen of England are shattered after about 45 seconds and Warwick performs his eye-popping U-turn to ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaaahs’ from the French courtiers

And then the whole thing went up yet a further level with Richard assuming centre stage after the victory at Tewkesbury and delivering those tremendous soliloquies, aided by some great cinematography - the solitary shaft of light on the cross at the front of Henry’s crown in his cell, the reflection of Richard’s grimace in the sword-blade at "I can smile, and murder whiles I smile…."

Terrific!

Can’t wait for the next one!

"To say the truth, Judas kissed his Master
And cried "All Hail!" when as he meant all harm…."

[jean]

...I have to say Hugh Bonneville, playing the key rôle of protector, is imvho simply not a good enough actor to hold his own in that company. I found him wooden (as I thought he was in Downton too)...

I thought he was absolutely brilliant here (I never watched Downton).

...Not sure the actor playing Henry VI was quite up to it either in terms of verse speaking...

No, nor any othert aspect of his role either.

[Alain Maréchal]

I still have not seen it, but rereading the above I realise nobody has mentioned the acting of Joan or Dauphin. Have their scenes gone as well?

[Nick Armstrong]

I thought he was absolutely brilliant here (I never watched Downton).

The latter would have helped. He was exactly as in Downton; and I do find him hammy - a moment of sudden concern = head bowed with fist to lips... a melodramatic gesture I don't think anyone does in real life.

No, nor any othert aspect of his role either.

I thought Sturridge was fine when not speaking ... hence I tend to agree that

I loved Tom Sturridge's scenes as The Watcher - the compassionate, peace-seeking King, agonised by the Battle of Towton raging bloodily and tormentingly about him, yet utterly unable to take part....

... likewise in the prison scenes.

I still have not seen it, but rereading the above I realise nobody has mentioned the acting of Joan or Dauphin. Have their scenes gone as well?

Didn't really notice the Dauphin scenes (hence unremarkable might be the word); Joan was there, the scenes were ok (though wasn't the battlement from which she rallied the troops the same as the scene in which Richard II / Ben Whishaw appeared, god-like, in the previous series?

[Stanley Stewart]

I still have not seen it, but rereading the above I realise nobody has mentioned the acting of Joan or Dauphin. Have their scenes gone as well?

Joan of Arc played by Laura Frances- Morgan with full subversive fervour before being agonisingly torched to death!

[Alain Maréchal]

The perils of written English; by "gone" I intended "removed". It would appear they were retained.