Rabble from Kent, The

Synopsis: Eleventh 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 VI, Part 2, Acts III-V.
Series: Age of Kings, An
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Television
Transmission details: 22 Sep 1960 at 21:00 (Channel: BBC)
Duration: 60 mins

Director

Michael Hayes

Producer

Writer

Music

Art Direction

Contributor

Arthur Bliss; Eric Crozier; Lionel Salter

Cast

Terry Scully	King Henry VI
Mary Morris	Queen Margaret
Paul Daneman	Richard (Richard (Crookback), son of Duke of York)
John Ringham	Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester)
Edgar Wreford	Duke of Suffolk (William de la Pole)
Adrian Brine	Walter Whitmore
Adrian Brine	Murderer
Alan Rowe	Duke of Somerset
Anthony Valentine	Dick the Butcher
Barry Jackson	Michael
David Andrews	Sea Captain (Captain)
Derek Ware	Master’s mate
Derek Ware	Soldier
Esmond Knight	Jack Cade
Frank Windsor	Earl of Warwick
Gordon Gostelow	Earl of Salisbury
Jack May	Richard, Duke of York (Duke of York)
Jerome Willis	Young Clifford
John Barcroft	Clifford (Old Lord Clifford)
John Murray Scott	Stafford’s brother
John Murray Scott	Vaux
John Ringham	Master
John Warner	Lord Say (Lord Saye)
Julian Glover	Edward, Earl of March
Kenneth Farrington	Duke of Buckingham
Leon Shepperdson	Duke Humphrey of Gloucester
Patrick Garland	George
Patrick Garland	Murderer
Robert Lang	Beaufort (Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester)
Terence Lodge	Smith the Weaver
Terence Lodge	Murderer
Terry Wale	Clerk (Emmanuel, the Clerk of Chatham)
Timothy Harley	Bevis
Tony Garnett	John Holland

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 21 March 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

British Universities Film & Video Council