The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, Part 1: The Gadshill Job

Summary

1959 BBC production for schools of The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, adapted from the history plays of Shakespeare and transmitted in seven parts.

Theatre play

Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare [more information]

Play synopsis

'Henry IV, Part 1 depicts a span of history that begins with Hotspur’s battle at Homildon against the Douglas late in 1402 and ends with the defeat of the rebels at Shrewsbury in the middle of 1403’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV,_Part_1).

Production history

Believed to have been written no later than 1597 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV,_Part_1).

Date of transmission

Tuesday 20 January 1959

Time

2.05-2.35pm

Series

Schools

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Ronald Eyre

Playwright

William Shakespeare

Composer

Kenneth Leighton

Conductor

Lionel Salter

Designer

Gordon Roland

Wardrobe

Maureen Muggeridge

Make-up

Shirley Speight

Cast

George Benson	Bardolph
Patrick Blackwell	Chamberlain
Roderick Cook	Nym
Peggy Forbes-Robertson	unnamed part
Martin Gordon	unnamed part
Robert Harris	King Henry IV
Walter Hudd	Lord Chief Justice
Meriel Hunn	unnamed part
Colin Jeavons	Prince Henry
Roger Livesey	Falstaff
Brian Moorehead	unnamed part
Audrey Noble	Mistress Quickly
Maxwell Shaw	Gadshill
Eric Thompson	Poins
David Webb	Second Carrier
Meadows [or Meadow] White	First Carrier
Ian Wilson	A Traveller

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

historical drama; royalty

Programme context tags

schools television programming

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 16 January 1959 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article and photograph, p. 5; listing, p. 11

Associated programmes

The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, Part 2: The Call to Arms (BBC, 1959)
Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare
BBC Television (Schools)

The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, Part 3: Into Battle (BBC, 1959)
Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare
BBC Television (Schools)

The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, Part 4: On Leave (BBC, 1959)
Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare
BBC Television (Schools)

The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, Part 5: Recruiting (BBC, 1959)
Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare
BBC Television (Schools)

The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, Part 6: God Save the King (BBC, 1959)
Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare
BBC Television (Schools)

The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff, Part 7: A New Reign (BBC, 1959)
Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare
BBC Television (Schools)