The Hollow Crown

Henry VI, Part 1: Now that Henry V has died young, the crown passes to his infant son who grows under the regency of his uncle, the lord protector Gloucester (Hugh Bonneville), into Tom Sturridge. Despite claims to his throne from others with quite possibly more legitimacy, there is a period of stability in England whilst the warmongers battle it out in France against Jean D'Arc (Laura Morgan). As part of a complex series of negotiations, a deal is struck that will see the young king marry Margaret of Anjou (Sophie Okonedo). It's a bit of an one-sided arrangement that essentially sees the King dispossessed of his French possessions. Back at home, and with the married king now in his majority, the conspiracy from Somerset (Ben Miles) and York (Adrian Dunbar) works to manoeuvre Gloucester from power and ultimatly restore the deposed Plantagenet line to the throne. The king's problems aren't helped by his wife's infidelities with Somerset or by Gloucester's wife (Sally Hawkins) being accused of witchcraft! It's actually Okonedo who steals the show here as the clearly ambitious and manipulative Queen; Bonneville is decent enough too, as is the underused Dunbar, but Sturridge doesn't impress so easily and that leaves part one of the story of Henry VI's near forty year reign looking great but lacking a degree of potency. By it's very nature, this has less variety to it's history and so delivers a more dry and less engaging tale of court intrigues and betrayals. Both Richard II & Henry IV (especially part 1) have more diversionary visuals to help keep the narrative from becoming too bogged down in the dialogue. This has fewer elements to entertain in that fashion and so, despite it's fiery start, is a much more procedural enterprise to watch. It's the second part of this play where the bolder elements emerge, but this lays the ground well for even more turbulent times to come.