The Royal Shakespeare Company have announced that they are releasing a DVD box set for their King And Country season comprising of Gregory Doran’s productions of Shakespeare’s great cycle of kings, Richard II, Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V.
David Tennant plays Richard II alongside Nigel Lindsay as Bolingbroke in the film of the 2013 production.
In Henry IV Parts I and II, Antony Sher plays Falstaff with Jasper Britton in the role of Henry IV, whilst Alex Hassell plays Prince Hal before returning in the climax of the cycle as Henry V.
All the plays were filmed live at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and each film includes a commentary by Gregory Doran and Assistant Director Owen Horsley, giving an exclusive insight into the process of staging the plays.
The box set is released on 1 April and can be pre ordered from the RSC shop here.
David Tennant is currently appearing as Richard II in the New York run of King And Country at BAM.
About the plays:
Richard II
Richard is King. A monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man of very human weakness. A man whose vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years.
Henry IV Part I
With his crown under threat from enemies both foreign and domestic, Henry IV prepares for war. As his father gets ready to defend his crown, Prince Hal is languishing in the taverns and brothels of London, revelling in the company of his friend, the notorious Sir John Falstaff. With the onset of war, Hal must confront his responsibilities to family and throne.
Henry IV Part II
King Henry's health is failing but he is uncertain Hal is a worthy heir. Meanwhile, Falstaff is sent to the countryside to recruit fresh troops, where he gleefully indulges in the business of lining his own pockets. As the King's health continues to worsen, Hal must choose between duty and loyalty to an old friend.
Henry V
Henry IV is dead and Hal is King. With England in a state of unrest, he must leave his rebellious youth behind, striving to gain the respect of his nobility and people.
Laying claim to parts of France and following an insult from the French Dauphin, Henry gathers his troops and prepares for a war that he hopes will unite his country.
DVD Photo Credit: The Stage
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