Henry VI

Synopsis: The Henry VI trilogy abridged and produced by Raymond Raikes and broadcast in two parts. Part 1. Nigel Lambert is King Henry. Ian McKellen plays both Richard, Duke of York and his son, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The original stage directions are read by Gabriel Woolf and the music is played by the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Rae Jenkins.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Radio
Transmission details: 7 Mar 1971 at 18:30 (Channel: BBC Radio 3)
Duration: 270 (incl. interval)
Availability: No archive copy found (2/2008)

Producer

Raymond Raikes

Writer

William Shakespeare

Music

Stephen Dodgson

Contributor

Rae Jenkins

Cast

Nigel Lambert	King Henry VI
Barbara Jefford	Queen Margaret
John Gabriel	Duke of Gloucester
Francis de Wolff	Sir John Talbot, later Earl of Shrewsbury
Leslie Heritage	Duke of Suffolk (William de la Pole)
Antony Higginson	Messenger
Basil Langton	Sir Humphrey Stafford
Brian Hewlett	Smith the Weaver
Clifford Norgate	Earl of Warwick
Daniel Rose	Edward, Prince of Wales
David Valla	Master Gunner
Denise Bryer	Witch
Douglas Blackwell	Dick the Butcher
Edward Kelsey	Captain to Lord Talbot (Captain)
Edward Kelsey	Shepherd
Gabriel Woolf	Reader
Gerald Cross	Conjurer
Gerald Cross	Duke of Burgundy
Gladys Spenser	Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester
Hector Ross	Walter Whitmore
Hector Ross	Earl of Salisbury
Ian McKellen	Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York
James Thomason	Mayor of London
John Forrest	Michael
John Rye	Sir William Lucy
Kerry Francis	Lord Clifford
Kerry Francis	Reignier, Duke of Anjou
Marjorie Westbury	Countess of Auvergne
Martin Friend	Alexander Iden
Norman Shelley	Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester
Patrick Tull	Bastard of Orléans
Peter Tuddenham	Emmanuel, the Clerk of Chatham
Richard Griffiths	Edward, Earl of March, later Edward IV
Sean Barrett	Master’s mate
Trevor Martin	Duke of Alençon
Trevor Martin	Jack Cade

Notes: An audio clip from the production (Part I, Act II iv), credited to Gordon Holmes, is available on Ian McKellen’s website www.mckellen.com (accessed 11/2008).
History: Broadcast with an interval at 7.50 pm approximately.
Part 2 was broadcast on 14 March 1971 (see separate entry). The broadcast of Part I was repeated 30 May 1971.
Textual information: Some lines written for Somerset, Vernon and ‘another lawyer’ have been merged into the parts of Suffolk, Warwick and Richard Plantagenet.
Reviews: In his review for The Times David Wade writes: "... Mr. Raikes has successfuly laid bare the main paths of the action. In the process he has had to dispense with a fair number of Dukes... . They are hardly missed and besides this is the only way to cope with such a profusion on radio" (13 March 1971, p. 18).

Source: Radio Times, The Times

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