The Education of A Prince: History on Stage at the Globe Theatre

Whose play it is remains an open question after viewing Henry IV, Part 1 at the Globe Theatre in June 2019. The play is the second of a trilogy of history plays performed this summer, which includes Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 and Henry V. Memorable performances of Falstaff, Prince Hal, and Hotspur make answering the question nearly impossible, and the Globe Ensemble’s color and gender- blind casting makes the question—whose play is it—as much about Shakespeare as about those legendary characters who vie for control of the Globe’s stage and the English nation.

Spectators might argue that this production of Henry IV, Part 1 is Prince Hal’s play. Played by Sarah Amankwah, Prince Hal exudes the privilege and power that comes with his royal position. Amankwah’s Hal seems unconflicted about his reformation from unthrifty son to the mirror of all Christian kings and already resolved to throw off his dissolute friends when we meet him in the tavern in act one. The tavern scenes crackle with linguistic and physical energy as Amankwah and Helen Schlesinger’s Falstaff stalk the stage trading insults. The play extempore in the tavern that has Falstaff play the Prince and the Prince play his father remains a theatrical wonder in this production. Amankwah generously evokes Hal’s enthusiasm for playful performance in the taverns, yet in doing…