Henry IV?Part 1 & Part 2 at New National Theatre Tokyo

The New National Theatre, Tokyo staged Shakespeare's historical "Henry VI" Trilogy in November 2009 and "Richard III" in October 2012, adding up to a total of more than 12 hours of performance time. In keeping with Shakespeare's intention for these works to dynamically present the broader ebb and flow of history, we kept the same cast and staff throughout the four works (SHAKESPEARE's first tetralogy), which includes the "Henry VI" Trilogy. This was met with the highest admiration of audiences, critics and the theatrical world, with accolades going to the commendable sense of unity throughout the story and the colourful portrayal of the characters.

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The two-part work "Henry IV" we are presenting this time is a major historical play that traces further back into history, focusing on the world of Henry VI's grandfather, Henry IV, and his son, who later became Henry V and the father of Henry VI. Famous for the antics of Falstaff, one of the most popular characters in all of Shakespeare's historical dramas, this is a very popular historical play. While Shakespeare wrote the first tetralogy early on in his writing career, he wrote "Henry IV"-despite it being set further back in history-at a more seasoned stage in his career, right before his robust series of tragedies starting with "Hamlet"; at this point, he was very much in his prime. Accordingly, his characters and character development have increased in depth; his storylines are also more developed, with greater ebb and flow, constantly holding the attention of the audience.

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For this production, we have kept the same staff as the first tetralogy, while also adding a wealth of new skilled actors to the original cast, making a production that is positively blooming with talent. Set your hopes high for this new historical drama series.