PRESS RELEASE For immediate release
The Hollow Crown Series 1 & 2 now live
“These plays are not only psychologically modern but dramatically sound…they are works of such genius and depth that they go all the way to the bottom of things.” ‐ L.A. Times
“Shakespeare outdoes Game of Thrones in the BBC's Hollow Crown” ‐ The Guardian
We are excited to announce the launch of The Hollow Crown collection. The Hollow Crown brings together Shakespeare’s history plays featuring a star‐studded cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant, Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons, Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville and Tom Hiddleston. These films are woven with the finest of Shakespeare's poetry and are filmed in the architecture and landscape of the period. The collection adds to Drama Online's rich Shakespeare content, allowing the plays to be viewed and studied alongside the The Arden Shakespeare playtexts in the core play collection.
The Series was a critical success which garnered many awards: Ben Whishaw and Simon Russell Beale won British Academy Television Awards for Leading actor and Supporting actor and Jeremy Irons was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. The first episode, Richard II, was nominated for the Best Single Drama at the BAFTAs.
The Hollow Crown Series 1 brings together four filmed adaptations of Shakespeare's History Plays ‐ Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 and 2, and Henry V. Starting in the year 1399, this
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continuous story of monarchy follows events during sixteen years of dynastic and political power play. Kings, with their families and followers, are threatened by rebellion and conflict. The story takes us from the Royal Court at Westminster to battlefields in England and France. Episodes include:
1. Richard II King Richard is called upon to settle a dispute between his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray. Richard calls for a duel but then halts it just before swords clash. Both men are banished from the realm. Richard visits John of Gaunt, Bolingbroke's father, who, in the throes of death, reprimands the king. After seizing Gaunt's money and land, Richard leaves for wars against the rebels in Ireland. Bolingbroke returns to claim back his inheritance. Supported by his allies, Northumberland and the Duke of York, Bolingbroke takes Richard prisoner and lays claim to the throne.
2. Henry IV Part 1 The heir to the throne Prince Hal defies his father King Henry by spending his time at Mistress Quickly's tavern in the company of the dissolute Falstaff and his companions. The king is threatened by a rebellion led by Hal's rival Hotspur, his father Northumberland and his uncle Worcester. In the face of this danger to the state, Prince Hal joins his father to defeat the rebels at the Battle of Shrewsbury and kill Hotspur in single combat.
3. Henry IV Part 2 In the aftermath of the Battle of Shrewsbury, Northumberland learns of the death of his son. The Lord Chief Justice attempts on behalf of the increasingly frail king to separate Falstaff from Prince Hal. The rebels continue to plot insurrection. Falstaff is sent to recruit soldiers and takes his leave of his mistress, Doll Tearsheet. The rebel forces are overcome. This brings comfort to the dying king, who is finally reconciled to his son. Falstaff rushes to Hal's coronation with expectations of high office.
4. Henry V Henry V has settled onto the throne and has the makings of a fine king when the French ambassador brings a challenge from the Dauphin. Inspired by his courtiers Exeter and York, Henry swears that he will, with all force, answer this challenge. The chorus tells of England's preparations for war and Henry's army sails for France. After Exeter's diplomacy is rebuffed by the French king, Henry lays a heavy siege and captures Harfleur. The French now take Henry's claims seriously and challenge the English army to battle at Agincourt.
The Hollow Crown Series 2: The Wars of the Roses, featuring Henry VI in two parts and Richard III, tells the story of an exceptionally turbulent period in British history that acutely resonates with the political events of today. These exhilarating and emotionally charged films feature some of Shakespeare’s most eloquent and powerful language. Episodes include:
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1. Henry VI Part 1 Against the backdrop of wars in France, the English nobility quarrel. News of the English defeat at Orleans reaches the duke of Gloucester and other nobles. After the funeral of Henry V, his son, the infant Henry VI, is proclaimed king. Henry banishes Somerset and Suffolk after Gloucester is found dead. Plantagenet is incensed when Margaret is able to bully Henry into reversing the sentence. He makes his claim for the throne and sets the Houses of York and Lancaster in open opposition.
2. Henry VI Part 2 After the Battle of St Albans, Plantagenet and the Yorkists ride to London to claim the throne. Henry negotiates to keep the crown for his lifetime but agrees to disinherit his son Prince Edward. Margaret is outraged and attacks Plantagenet at his house, slaughtering the duke and his youngest son Edmund. Elder brothers Edward, George and Richard escape and swear to avenge the murders and destruction of their house. The Yorkists are victorious at the Battle of Towton and Plantagenet's eldest son is crowned Edward IV. Henry VI is imprisoned in the tower and Margaret escapes to France with her son Prince Edward. In the aftermath of battle, Richard slays Prince Edward in front of a distraught Margaret. Richard returns to London and murders the former King Henry in his cell. The court of Edward IV congregates for the christening of a new heir to the throne. The Yorkist dynasty seems secure.
3. Richard III At Westminster, Richard speaks about his deformity, the evil plots he has laid, and the decadence at court. George, brother to Richard and the king, is arrested during a birthday feast for Prince Edward and led away to the tower. After Edward dies, Richard starts to take control. The Duke of Richmond and his supporters join forces to seize the crown and overthrow Richard. In his underground quarters at Westminster, Richard becomes isolated and paranoid. He is forced to lead his army to confront Richmond at Bosworth Field. The Houses of York and Lancaster are united,
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Developed in partnership by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Faber & Faber, Drama Online was created as a response to the need for a high‐quality online research tool for drama and literature students, professors and teachers. Available for institutional purchase and used by schools, colleges and universities around the world, the award‐winning Drama Online introduces new writers alongside the most iconic names in playwriting history. Drama Online is a fast‐growing study resource which now features over 2000 titles from 500 playwrights. It is the only resource to combine exclusively available playtext content and scholarly publications with filmed live performances, film adaptations and audio plays.
The Drama Online platform features the pre‐eminent theatre lists of Bloomsbury’s Methuen Drama and Arden Shakespeare imprints, Faber & Faber and Nick Hern Books; production photos from the Victoria and Albert Museum and The American Shakespeare Center; audio plays from L.A. Theatre Works; filmed live performances from leading theatres such as
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Shakespeare’s Globe; BBC film adaptations and The Hollow Crown. Playwrights Canada Press content will be available from March 2017.
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