Hall will direct both parts of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, revisiting the plays for the first time since they formed part of his famous War of the Roses cycle for the RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon in the 60s. He will also be joined by directors Stephen Unwin and Christopher Luscombe, who will respectively direct revivals of Noël Coward’s rarely-seen This Happy Breed and Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III.
Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 will begin performances July 7 prior to an official opening of both parts on a press day on July 27, then run in rep through Aug. 13. According to press materials, the plays “are both a drama of family life and a great English epic, which chronicles the complex relationships between fathers and sons, be they kings and princes, heroes or villains.”
Noël Coward’s This Happy Breed will begin performances July 19, prior to an official opening July 26, for a run through Aug. 13. The play, written in 1939 and first performed in 1942, was subsequently filmed in 1944. According to press materials, the play focuses on one ordinary family, the Gibbons, and follows their joys and heartaches from the day they move into a comfortable suburban home in Clapham in 1919 to the day they move out again, 20 years later.
Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III will begin performances Aug. 17, prior to an official opening Aug. 24, for a run through Sept. 3. Originally premiered at the National Theatre in 1991 and subsequently adapted for a film in 1994, it provides a theatrical portrait of English history, revolving around King George III, the third Hanoverian king of Great Britain. He studied science, founded the Royal Academy of Arts, took a keen interest in agriculture and fathered 15 children. During his reign, Great Britain and Ireland became the United Kingdom, and Britain lost its American colonies. In spite of all this, he is best-remembered today for his bouts of unbridled lunacy. Subjected to the appalling medical treatment of the day, the King’s authority is battered by power struggles between both politicians and his ambitious son and heir.
To book tickets, contact the box office on 01225 448844, or visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk.
