King Henry V [scenes]

Summary

This BBC Television production presented an extract from King Henry V.

Theatre play

King Henry V by William Shakespeare [more information]

Play synopsis

'Soon after his accession to the throne King Henry V is considering asserting his right to rule France as well as England. Consulting the Archbishop of Canterbury as to the justness of his claim, he receives a gift of tennis balls sent by the dauphin - a scornful jibe at his youth, which spurs him on to the invasion of France. The king’s former companions from his days in the Eastcheap tavern hear of the death of Sir John Falstaff from Hostess Quickly. They take their leave of her and set out to join Henry’s army. Despite the dauphin’s insistence that Henry is an unworthy opponent, the French king receives the English ambassadors but finally rejects Henry’s claim to the crown. Henry’s forces besiege and then take the town of Harfleur. While her father rouses his nobles to retaliation, Princess Katherine begins to learn English with the help of her companion Alice. Following the victory at Harfleur, the English forces begin a retreat through Normandy on account of the poor condition of the men, who are disheartened by sickness and foul weather. Even so, Henry rejects the French Herald’s offer of ransom and the two armies prepare to fight. On the eve of the battle of Agincourt, Henry tours the camp in disguise and, sounding out the opinions of his men, is led to consider the heavy responsibilities of kingship. In the French camp, by contrast, confidence is high. As battle is joined, Henry rallies his troops and places them all in God’s hands. An English victory is confirmed, with miraculously small losses. As part of the subsequent treaty, Henry woos and wins Katherine to ensure the linking of the two countries through marriage’ (source: http://www.rscshakespeare.co.uk/henryV.html, accessed 13 November 2012).

Production history

First performed c. 1599.

Date of transmission

Friday 5 February 1937

Time

9.01pm (17 mins)

Series

Scenes from Shakespeare

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

George More O’Ferrall (1907-1982)

Cast

Yvonne Arnaud (1892-1958)	Katharine
Marie Mervin	Alice
Henry Oscar (1891-1969)	Henry V

Additional details

Notes

In the listing for this production, the Radio Times (29 January, p. 12) notes that: ‘The wife of Henry V, Katharine, was a Frenchwoman, and it will be interesting to hear Yvonne Arnaud’s attractive foreign accents in this part. This is not her first appearance in a Shakespeare play; she played the same part at the Alhambra in January, 1934. Henry Oscar has played Shakespearean roles for more than twenty five years—in fact, ever since he began his stage career in 1911, when he appeared at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford, as Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

15th-century setting; France, as theme or setting; historical drama; royalty

Print sources

Title

BBC Television Programme Records: vol. 1, 1937-38 (Book)

Reference

London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1938

Linking notes

listing on p. 10

Title

Radio Times, 22 April 1960 (Magazine)

Linking notes

brief mention in article on An Age of Kings on p. 3

Title

Radio Times, 29 January 1937 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing on p. 12