From the Royal Shakespeare Company - a modern, definitive edition of Shakespeare's epic retelling of the Wars of the Roses. With an expert introduction by Sir Jonathan Bate, this unique edition presents a historical overview of Henry VI in performance, takes a detailed look at specific productions, and recommends film versions. Included in this edition are interviews with two leading directors and a designer - Edward Hal and Michael Boyd, and Tom Piper - providing an illuminating insight into the extraordinary variety of interpretations that are possible. This edition also includes an essay on Shakespeare's career and Elizabethan theatre, and enables the reader to understand the play as it was originally intended - as living theatre to be enjoyed and performed. Ideal for students, theatre-goers, actors and general readers, the RSC Shakespeare editions offer a fresh, accessible and contemporary approach to reading and rediscovering Shakespeare's works for the twenty-first century.

The first edition of Henry VI, developed by and for the RSC, with unique material including a new introduction from Jonathan Bate and interviews with important directors

IntroductionStructure and StyleThe Popular VoiceThe Tragic AgonAbout the TextKey FactsHenry VI, Part OneTextual NotesKey FactsHenry VI, Part TwoTextual NotesKey FactsHenry VI, Part ThreeTextual NotesSynopses to the plots of Parts One, Two, and ThreeHenry VI in Performance: the RSC and BeyondFour Centuries of Henry VI: An OverviewAt the RSCThe Director's Cut: Interviews with Michael Boyd and Edward Hall'Designing Henry VI' by Tom PiperShakespeare's Career in the TheatreShakespeare's Works: A ChronologyKings and Queens of England: From the History Plays to Shakespeare's LifetimeThe History Behind the Histories: A ChronologyFurther Reading and ViewingReferencesAcknowledgements and Picture Credits