Shakespeare: Player Kings

Shakespeare: Player Kings – Henry IV Parts 1&2 Written and set after King John and Richard II, Henry IV and its sequel similarly emphasise two lead roles and the changing relationship between them. In John, we had the titular king and his nephew Philip the Bastard. In Richard II, it was the titular king and his cousin Bolingbroke who takes the crown as King Henry IV. But Henry takes a backseat in his own plays. Instead it’s his son Prince Hal (the future Henry V) who is the main character, alongside his dubious mentor: a fat, drunk knight called Sir John Falstaff. The utterly unhistorical Falstaff is an enormous role in more ways than one, bringing us some of the most riotously funny scenes in all of Shakespeare. The Henry IV plays have a whole cavalcade of colourful characters, from Doll Tearsheet and Mistress Quickly to the mad Scotsman Douglas and the hot-headed Hotspur—the only Shakespeare character I know of to have a football team named after them. “What is Honour? A word. What is that word ‘honour’? Air.” “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” These practical and playful sessions explore Shakespeare’s timeless works. Running the gamut of human experience from tragic to comic, you’ll get to perform speeches and scenes, explore stories and history, and discuss the profound questions posed by a writer who might just be both the greatest and most popular of all time. Sessions are taught by professional actor Charlie Sturgeon, 2018 MA Acting (Classical) graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, leading man of the Australian Shakespeare Company 2013-17 and of course host of our own improv and chatterbox courses.

Cancellation Policy

Classes or Courses can be cancelled up to 24 hours before the start time. We cannot refund for missed individual sessions within a course. Classes or courses cancelled by P4HE or GIFT will be refunded as soon as practically possible.

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