British Universities Film & Video Council

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Uneasy Lies the Head

Synopsis
Sixth 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 2, Acts III-V.
Series
Age of Kings, An
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television
Transmission details
7 Jul 1960 at 21:00 (Channel: BBC)
Duration
60 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, later crowned Henry V
Frank PettingellSir John Falstaff
William SquireRobert Shallow
Adrian Brine 
Alan RoweHarcourt
Anthony ValentineGroom
Brian SmithFrancis Feeble
Dane HowellPage
Derek WareGroom
Edgar WrefordScroop, Archbishop of York
Frank WindsorPeter Bullcalf
Geoffrey BayldonLord Chief Justice
George A. CooperPistol
George A. CooperPistol
Gordon GostelowBardolph
John GreenwoodThomas, Duke of Clarence
John Murray Scott 
John RinghamHumphrey, Duke of Gloucester
John WarnerSilence
Kenneth FarringtonNeville, Earl of Warwick
Leon ShepperdsonSimon Shadow
Michael Graham CoxDavid (Davy)
Noel JohnsonLord Mowbray
Patrick GarlandPrince John of Lancaster
Robert LangLord Hastings
Terence LodgeRalph Mouldy
Terry WaleThomas Wart
Timothy Harley 
William SquireEpilogue

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Medieval
Plays
Henry IV Part 2
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Related items
Eternity of Kings, An
New Conspiracy, The
Rebellion from the North
Road to Shrewsbury, The

Notes

Notes
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 14 February 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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