Shakespeare Globe

Henry IV Part 2

by William Shakespeare

Now playing until 9 October

To book tickets online please click here »

**** 'It's our national pageant, and it's gloriously available in London's most informal and genuinely popular theatre' The Independent

**** 'Staged with terrific aplomb... The ensemble effort is palpable and there are a host of first-rate performances... William Gaunt and Christopher Godwin are worth the price of admission alone... A triumph' Daily Telegraph

**** 'Dominic Dromgoole offers an impassioned take on Shakespeare's story of a troubled usurper, a rebel age, a dissolute prince and his Falstaff... (Allam is) a Falstaff to treasure' The Times

**** 'Magnificent Roger Allam... An exuberant performance... Wonderful' Metro

**** 'Allam makes one of the best Falstaffs in recent memory... Enjoys great chemistry with the whole ensemble' Daily Mail

'Dominic Dromgoole's enjoyable revival... Parker's superb Hal... Roger Allam's deliciously comic portrayal... Swaggers with gleeful high spirits and a genuine sense of history on the march' Guardian

'You feel the warmth in the Globe production: there are precious moments when the hearty savour of Shakespeare’s world takes possession of ours... (Allam is) a truly great Falstaff' Simon Schama in the Financial Times

'Dromgoole's intelligent, faithful and entertaining new production... Starring Roger Allam, the Globe's players deliver a delightful reading of Shakespeare's hit play... Shakespeare lovers looking for an authentic rendering of an English classic should hotfoot it to Southwark to catch a memorable night's work' The Observer

'Hal, portrayed with marvellous lightness by Jamie Parker... Roger Allam is superb, commanding the difficult Globe stage with such shambolic majesty... William Gaunt is hilarious as doddering Shallow' Time Out

'An extraordinary panorama of England... Allam's irresistible Falstaff' Sunday Times

Hotspur is dead and Prince Hal has proved his mettle on the battlefield, but Henry IV lies dying and the rebels, though scattered, show no sign of declaring their allegiance to the Crown. Even Falstaff is forced out of the taverns to raise a scratch militia in the country. But will his attachment to the rising Hal be rewarded with promotion and the life of ease he feels sure he deserves?

At least the equal of Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 includes some of the greatest moments in Shakespeare: the deathbed scene of the old King, when Hal contemplates the crown; the reunion of Falstaff with his old boon companion, Justice Shallow; and Hal's devastating rejection of Falstaff himself.

Roger Allam was recently in La Cage aux Folles in the West End, and won the 2002 Olivier Award for Privates on Parade at the Donmar.

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