British Universities Film & Video Council

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Road to Shrewsbury, The

Synopsis
Fourth episode in a fifteen-part televised series comprising Shakespeare’s history plays from Richard II to Richard III (the two tetralogies), effectively presenting a chronological history of British royalty from 1377 to 1485. This episode covers Henry IV, Part 1, Acts III-V.
Series
Age of Kings, An
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television
Transmission details
9 Jun 1960 at 20:45 (Channel: BBC)
Duration
75 mins

Credits

Director
Michael Hayes
Producer
Peter Dews
Writer
William Shakespeare
Music
Christopher Whelen
Art Direction
Stanley Morris
Contributor
Arthur Bliss; Eric Crozier; Lionel Salter
Cast
Tom FlemingKing Henry IV
Robert HardyPrince Henry (Hal)
Frank PettingellSir John Falstaff
Sean ConneryHenry Percy (Hotspur)
Angela BaddeleyMistress Quickly
Alan RoweSir Richard Vernon
Andrew FauldsArchibald, Earl of Douglas
Anthony ValentineMessenger
Brian Smith 
David AndrewsEdmund Mortimer, Earl of March
Derek Ware 
Edgar WrefordRichard Scroop (Richard Scroop, Archbishop of York)
Frank WindsorSir Walter Blunt
Geoffrey BayldonThomas Percy, Earl of Worcester
Gordon GostelowBardolph
Jeremy Bisley 
Jerome Willis 
John Greenwood 
John Murray Scott 
Julian GloverEarl of Westmoreland
Kenneth FarringtonSir Michael
Leon Shepperdson 
Michael Graham Cox 
Patricia HeneghanLady Percy
Patrick GarlandLord John of Lancaster
Terence Lodge 
Terry Scully 
Terry Wale 
Timothy Harley 
Valerie GearonLady Mortimer
William SquireOwen Glendower

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Medieval
Plays
Henry IV Part 1
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Eternity of Kings, An
Rebellion from the North

Notes

Notes
The complete episode may be viewed online at the British Film Institute ‘Screenonline’ website: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/527213/index.html
Please note, however, that the video material on ‘Screenonline’ is only accessible from schools, colleges and public libraries in the United Kingdom.
Commercially available on DVD as part of a 5-disc box set from BBC Warner (released March 2009). A written transcript of the series is being held at the Birmingham Central Library as part of their Shakespeare Collection.
General
As Michael Brooke notes, this production was "the most conceptually ambitious Shakespeare project ever attempted for either film or television." Each episode involved expenses of £4.000 and a cast of 600. The rehearsal period took thirty weeks.
History
Transmitted in the US on PBS’ WNEW-TV channel 9 June 1961
Awards
Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Excellence in Directing (Peter Dews)

1962 The George Foster Peabody Award
Textual information
Script editor Michael Cozier cut the texts into 60 -75 minute episodes which, for the most part, comprised half a complete play.
Reviews
Michael Brooke, "Age of Kings, An (1960)", http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/527213/index.html

Online Availability

Online URL
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/527213/index.html

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7436 0165
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN

Record Stats

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