Henry IV Parts I & II

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s much acclaimed production comes to The Lowry for a five day run on its grand Lyric stage.

Starring Anthony Sher - magnificent as Falstaff - both plays work brilliantly as stand alone pieces but, for full impact, they really should be enjoyed as one experience, rather than being seen on separate days. Book the 2pm and 7pm shows on the Thursday or Saturday to do so. 

Power, corruption, responsibility, betrayal, family, loyalty, it’s all in Part I, as Henry’s crown comes under threat from all sides, at home and abroad. And in Part II, faced with getting older, a son who will succeed him and the threat of civil war, Henry’s laments on getting old ring as true today as they no doubt did back then.

It’s a traditional telling of the story - it isn’t set inside a shopping centre, lunatic asylum or video game – allowing the poetry of the language to speak for itself. By the conclusion, with power shifting, friendships destroyed and mortality confronted, the word ‘epic’ doesn’t seem to be descriptive enough.

There are workshops for schools available as part of the run, as well as discounts available if you see both plays. Captioned and audio-described performances are on offer too.