'An Age of Kings' is a fascinating survivor of the early days of British television, when drama was still transmitted live and, although the medium was fairly new, theatre actors were attracted to well-written and staged dramas for a mass audience.
'Richard II Part 1' focuses on King Richard's arrogance, susceptibility to flattery, and mistakes. The play begins with a charge of traitor from one subject to another - Mowbray and Bolingbroke (Richard's cousin, and therefore a possible claimant to the English throne); moving swiftly on to a situation the King cannot stop.
There are some lovely performances here - Edgar Wreford as the prophetic John of Gaunt, Tom Fleming (better known perhaps as the voice of BBC commentary on Royal occasions) as Bolingbroke, Geoffrey Bayldon (Catweazle) as Duke of York, and David William as Richard. There's also an early appearance by a great star of a couple of years later - Sean Connery as Hotspur, not as Scottish as he is now, but still recognisable.
Shakepeare's language is done full justice within this adaptation, which makes fascinating viewing alongside the later BBC version with Derek Jacobi. A wonderful discovery at a time when so many productions transmitted around the same time are known to be lost forever.
'Richard II Part 1' focuses on King Richard's arrogance, susceptibility to flattery, and mistakes. The play begins with a charge of traitor from one subject to another - Mowbray and Bolingbroke (Richard's cousin, and therefore a possible claimant to the English throne); moving swiftly on to a situation the King cannot stop.
There are some lovely performances here - Edgar Wreford as the prophetic John of Gaunt, Tom Fleming (better known perhaps as the voice of BBC commentary on Royal occasions) as Bolingbroke, Geoffrey Bayldon (Catweazle) as Duke of York, and David William as Richard. There's also an early appearance by a great star of a couple of years later - Sean Connery as Hotspur, not as Scottish as he is now, but still recognisable.
Shakepeare's language is done full justice within this adaptation, which makes fascinating viewing alongside the later BBC version with Derek Jacobi. A wonderful discovery at a time when so many productions transmitted around the same time are known to be lost forever.
