Christmas with the Queen, Falstaff, and hip-hop: A look at productions of I Henry IV

Brea Barski 2010

Though generally not known as one of William Shakespeare’s more popular plays, I Henry IV, has been portrayed thousands of times in the past four centuries, influencing millions of playgoers and theatre history as a whole.  For many people, a production of this history play is all that is known of the king, making it even more significant when the play is performed.  The king, however, has not proven to be the most memorable cast member of this history play, or even a member of the royal family, but Falstaff, an overweight, older man who thieves and uses people.  For the most part, what readers remember about I Henry IV is this character.

Though the play is generally not well-known, it has been produced numerous times since it was first written.  The Lord Chamberlain’s Men produced the show on multiple occasions (Hemingway 477). In 1625, the prince brought in the new year with a private showing of I Henry IV and then, thirteen years later in 1638, another royal production of the play was given in honor of the “princes berthnight” (Hemingway 478).In the early to mid 1700s there are documented productions of I Henry IV nearly every year (Hemingway 481-83).  This popularity can be attributed to the Roe publications of Shakespeare’s works.  After these plays were printed, productions of Hamlet, Julius Casear, Henry VIII, Othello, Richard III, King Lear, I Henry IV, and II Henry IV were done more often that in the century since they had been written (Hemingway 480).  The accessible copies of the scripts gave people the opportunity to look at works that had little attention before this point.

It can be difficult to determine how fashionable a play like this was when it was released.  Detailed records were not kept in Shakespearean theatres, so the popularity of a show needs to be determined using personal reactions – such as diaries, letters, etc. – to find how many times a show was produced and how it was received.  These references to a production piece together the early popularity of I Henry IV.  Other than these references, like today, one can also tell the success of a work by looking at how many printings were required:

The popularity of I Henry IV on the public stage during Shakespeare’s lifetime is indicated … by the five quarto editions of the play. … But perhaps the most convincing evidence of the success of Falstaff is to be found in the two lines quoted below.  One should remember that throughout the performance of a play the Elizabethan spectators were continuously eating nuts, the noise of the cracking shells being, according to Ben Johnson, “most damnable.” Yet the entrance of Falstaff produced a sudden stillness. … “I could praise Heywood now; or tell how long Falstaff from cracking nuts hath kept the throng.” (Verses by Sir Thomas Palmer, prefixed to the first folio of Beaumont and Fletcher, 1647.) (Hemingway 478)

When the character of Falstaff silenced crowds in this account, it was far from the first time that Falstaff made a huge impression.  In fact, Falstaff was, perhaps, the most loved character in I Henry IV.  According to Fellows, the main topics of the play – “history and kingship” – were “not of much interest to the average Elizabethan playgoer standing in the penny galleries.  But the antics of Falstaff made up for all that – the public loved him” (175).

Among Falstaff’s many admirers was Queen Elizabeth.  At what would become the most significant performance of I Henry IV to Shakespeare’s writing career, the Queen saw a production and felt affection for Falstaff.  So strong was her liking to the character, that she requested Shakespeare write him into another play:

Elizabeth probably saw Henry IV, Part 1 during the 1596-1597 Christmas revels.  Captivated by the fat knight, she told her cousin Lord Hunsdon, who was a patron of Shakespeare’s company, the Chamberlain’s Men, that she would like to see a play in which the old rogue was in love.  Hunsdon quickly contacted Shakespeare, who set immediately to work to satisfy Her Majesty’s demand.  The comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor is the result (Fellows 175).

Some points of this story about the Queen’s reaction have been disputed over time.  Some claim that it was actually a production of both Henry IV plays rather than just the first part or that the Queen had Shakespeare brought to her immediately, rather than speak with a cousin; some believe that these events took place one Christmas later, in 1597 (Hemingway 476).  Despite inconsistencies with the smaller points in the story, this is arguably the most significant production of I Henry IV ever, especially when looking at its results.

As noted before, in the early and mid 1700s I Henry IV was produced excessively and quite popular in England.  Following this time of popularity in Europe, the play became exceedingly popular across the Atlantic in the United States of America.  Though the country was based largely on agriculture and theater was not as common a pastime as it was in Europe at this point, the play was well-liked in America, as well.  I Henry IV was the sixth Shakespearean play to be produced in New York with nearly one hundred recorded productions of the show between 1761 and 1864 (Hemingway 495).  On Dec. 18, 1761, I Henry IV was first performed in New York, at the Chapel Street Theatre (IBDB: King Henry IV, Part I).  David Douglass played the beloved roll of Falstaff and Lewis Hallam played Hotspur.  It is unknown how long the play remained at the Chapel Street Theatre, but it is known that these actors starred in the same rolls multiple times.  According to Hemingway, “These actors appeared again in these parts at the John Street Theatre in Feb. 1768.  A performance advertised for Jan. 29, 1781, was cancelled; for ‘the departure of the fleet on Monday last deprived the theatre of several gentlemen who were to have taken part” (495).   The Revolutionary War may have stopped this production of the play, but it did not affect America’s affection towards the play.  The play has continued to be produced many times over to this day in popular theatres in the United States.  In recent years, I Henry IV has had notable runs at the 2005 Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University and in Washington, D.C. by the Shakespeare Theatre Company in 2004.

Of all of the American productions of I Henry IV, perhaps the least forgettable would be Clay. Clay is a one-man hip-hop musical loosely based on Falstaff’s story.  Instead of Falstaff, though, this character is “Sir John” and the lead young male changes so that he was “Clifford” and is now “Clay” rather than the I Henry I Henry IV version where the change is from “Henry” to “Hal.”  Clay is a young man who leaves home in the suburbs and finds adventure, along with a good friend (and rapper) Sir John.  Under the tutelage of Sir John, Clifford becomes Clay, a rising hip-hop star.  Much like the original productions of Shakespeare’s works, Clay is performed on a stage with no props (Kramer).  Because one man, creator Matt Sax, plays all seven characters, it cannot be told whether audiences prefer the Sir John character over the others.  However, reviews praise the young man’s acting when he is depicting his mother (Kramer).

I Henry IV has been produced many times.  It may not be the most frequently stages Shakespeare production, but it is a highly significant one.  A first presentation influenced a queen to the point where she demanded another be written in order to give a character a happy ending.  Another version was being done of the same play each year for an extended period because there was such a liking for this particular play and its characters.  Even when the United States of America was fighting with the British, Shakespeare’s work made its way to the New York theatre and became a significant influence there.  Even later, an American would create and perform an internationally acclaimed adaptation done as a one-man hip-hop production.  Clearly I Henry IV has been a successful work that has remained relevant and enjoyed even centuries after it was first performed.

I Henry IV is not a commonly viewed piece by Shakespeare.  The reason for this is because of the predetermined opinion of the work that is given by the lack of information.  When looking at historic productions of the piece, there is very little detail put on the play or the elements of the play.  Instead, the historical value of that one production or the actors who were significant in other roles is written about.  Other times, the plays will be combined and discussed as one.  Because of these, I Henry IV is not one of the plays that have strongly entered contemporary society.  There is a negative predetermined connation to the play because it does not have a large place in society.  Previous productions have been numerous and significant, but they are overlooked in history, making it more difficult to study in an historical view.

When performing this piece, it could be suggested that a director place an emphasis on the character of Falstaff.  He has historically been the featured character, dating back to Queen Elizabeth’s first love of him.  Even when the original playgoers viewed this play, the royalty were ignored in place of the more scandalous bar gang.  As I Henry IV was not Shakespeare’s first history play, he knew how audiences would react to the royal plots and added these scenes to keep his audience.  For this reason, they should be given as much attention as the scenes that more directly relate to the plot of ascending the throne.

WORKS CONSULTED

Adams, W. Davenport. A Dictionary of the Drama. Vol. I. A-G. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1904.

Berlin, Susan. Washington D.C.: 1 Henry IV. Talkin' Broadway Regional News & Reviews. <http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/dc/dc386.html>.

Fellows, Virginia M. The Shakespeare Code. Snow Mountain, 2006.

Hemingway, Samuel B., ed. A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare 'Henry The Fourth' I ed. Vol. 21. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1936.

Jones, Kenneth. Matt Sax's Hip-Hop Musical Clay Plays KC Prior to NYC. 27 Aug. 2008. Playbill News. <http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120794.html>.

King Henry IV, Part I. Internet Broadway Database. <http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=452675>.

Kramer, Peter, comp. Moulding a new audience with “Clay”. 22 Sept. 2008. LoHud.com. <http://theater.lohudblogs.com/2008/09/22/moulding-a-new-audience-with-clay/>.

Moorman, F. W., ed. The Arden Shakespeare: Henry IV Part I. Boston: D.C. Heath, 1904.

Production Search for 'Henry IV Part 1' Internet Shakespeare Editions. <http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/theater/sip/searchresults/?rpp=50&terms=henry+iv+part+1&subject=all&action=search>.

Shakespeare, William. "The First Part of King Henry The Fourth." The Necessary Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. Second ed. New York: Pearson, 2005. 373-411.

Winter, William. Shakespeare on the Stage. Second ed. Rahway, NJ: Quinn & Boden, 1914.