The Hollow Crown

Henry IV, Part 2: Though this hasn't quite the characterful potency of the first part of the Henry IV story, it's still a compelling couple of hours that depicts the decline of one king and the ascension of another. Henry IV (Jeremy Irons) and his court have slightly revised their opinions of the young "Hal" (Tom Hiddleston) following his defeat of Hotspur, but he is beginning to ail and those warring forces in the north of England are scenting a chance to avenge themselves. Meantime, Falstaff (Simon Russell Beale) has earned the enmity of the Lord Chief Justice (Geoffrey Palmer) who deems him - not unreasonably - as a bad influence on the young Prince, and charges him to recruit a troop of soldiers to ride to face the rebels. Suffice to say those he does recruit, armed with wooden pitchforks and suffering from disease and malnutrition, don't quite cut it, nor do his overheard and reckless words about the prince to his lover "Doll" (Maxine Peake) stand him in much stead, either. Perhaps his luck is running out? As to the war, well a bit of nimble duplicity spares the nation from another great conflict, but this is all occurring as their King begins to lose his grasp on his crown, and Henry V must be prepared to rule - ruthlessly casting off those upon whom he had depended and who had come to depend upon him. Falstaff features extensively here and though SRB's contributions are sterling, I found his character - without it's joviality and debauched nature - a little less endearing and that's a testament to the acting of a man who seems to be in the skin of his charge. Hiddleston doesn't fare quite so well, with the glint gone from his eyes his acting struggles a little to deliver a more earnest Prince Henry. Still, the adaptation from Sir Richard Eyre, a slew of formidable supporting artists and some superb production design really does present us with an entertaining and character-driven drama that brings Shakespeare's story of politics, power and patronage into the 21st century resoundingly well.