Episode 33 - The Hollow Crown Season 1

One of the best parts of approaching the Shakespearean plays as we have - that is, in a roughly chronological manner - is that we’ve seen the growth of Shakespeare as a writer. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the recent BBC adaptations of Shakespeare's historical tetralogies in their acclaimed series The Hollow Crown. We talked about the first tetralogy - 1 Henry VI, 2 Henry VI, 3 Henry VI, and Richard III - but today we're diving into the second tetralogy, the famed Henriad, comprising Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV, and Henry V which were the subject of the first cycle of The Hollow Crown back in 2012. 

 

Featuring an all-star cast and a massive budget, The Hollow Crown is a masterful retelling of Shakespeare's famous Henriad. That they aired it in the same year as the London Olympics and at the same time as Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations were underway says something about the way Shakespeare is still regarded by his cultural descendants. It also leaves us wondering about the role of public broadcasters in telling a nation's story.

 

Here to dive into the nitty gritty details of these four plays and their film adaptations is James Kelly, host of Shakespeare Onscreen and Ranking Thrones (a Game of Thrones podcast) and fellow Shakespeare aficionado!

Notes:

- You can follow James on Twitter (@ssvegerot4evr)
- Catch Shakespeare Onscreen/Ranking Thrones online wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts!

- Also check out James' foray into Shakespearean comic books with his adaptation of Richard III for Olympian Comics