Player Kings 2024
Opened: April 1, 2024Closing: June 22, 2024
Player Kings - 2024 West End History , Info & More
Noel Coward Theatre
85-88 St Martin's Ln, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4AP, United Kingdom London
Ian McKellen - 'one of the world's greatest actors' (Times) - plays Falstaff in a new version of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, adapted by the award-winning writer and director Robert Icke.
A divided country, leadership crumbling, corruption in the air. Welcome to England.
Hal wasn't born to be king. Only now, it seems, he will be. His father longs for him to leave behind his friends in the taverns of Eastcheap, most notably the infamous John Falstaff. War is on the horizon. But will Hal ever come good?
Bringing together Shakespeare's two great history plays (Henry IV, parts 1 and 2), Player Kings will reign over London’s West End for twelve weeks only – playing at the Noël Coward Theatre from April 2024.
__Assisted Performances__
Captioned Performance: Saturday 1 June 2024 - 2.30pm
Audio described Performance: Saturday 15 June 2024 - 2.30pm
Player Kings - 2024 - West End Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Player Kings
Ian McKellen shines in overlong Shakespeare reimagining
6 / 10
Is that enough of a reason to catch what could possibly be McKellen’s farewell to the West End? I hesitate to say yes because Icke’s marathon modern-day Shakespeare production — which runs to nearly four hours — yields such mixed results. One or two of the performances are fiery: as Hotspur, Samuel Edward-Cook (who doubles as Pistol) delivers martial swagger and raw machismo, while Clare Perkins is a raucous Mistress Quickly. Others fade into the background; warlords are presented with the air of weary bureaucrats. And Hildegard Bechtler’s unassuming set, dominated by expanses of plain brickwork, with the actors pulling back drab curtains to reveal new scenes, provides little to distract the eye.
Ian McKellen is masterful in a play of two halves
6 / 10
It all comes apart in a staid second half (shorter in length yet feeling longer), where both Shakespeare’s text and Icke’s choices feel much more lacklustre and uninspired. Without the urgent and imminent threat of civil war and insurrection, and with some strange directorial decisions (prostitute Mistress Tearsheet having an Eastern European accent felt particularly lazy), the wheels of Icke’s Shakespearean behemoth wobble as they scream out for voracity. Perfunctory design choices from Hildegard Bechtler, with the show’s aesthetics largely grounded in the early 20th century, don’t add anything too revelatory.
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Update: Sir Ian McKellen Will Not Return to PLAYER KINGS in London Following Onstage Fall
by Joshua Wright - June 20, 2024
by Joshua Wright - June 20, 2024
It has been announced that Sir Ian McKellen will not return to Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London after he suffered a fall during a performance earlier this week.
Sir Ian McKellen Delays Return To PLAYER KINGS After Falling Off Stage
by Joshua Wright - June 18, 2024
by Joshua Wright - June 18, 2024
While Sir Ian McKellen is expected to make a full recovery following an on-stage accident during a performance of Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre in London, the production has announced that McKellen's return to the show will be delayed an additional day.
Sir Ian McKellen To Make Full Recovery After On-Stage Fall; PLAYER KINGS Tuesday Performance Canceled
by Joshua Wright - June 17, 2024
by Joshua Wright - June 17, 2024
Sir Ian McKellen is expected to make a full recovery following an on-stage accident during a performance of Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre in London.
Sir Ian McKellen Hospitalized After On-Stage Fall During PLAYER KINGS at Noël Coward Theatre
by Joshua Wright - June 17, 2024
by Joshua Wright - June 17, 2024
Sir Ian McKellen, the esteemed 85-year-old actor, has been hospitalized following an on-stage accident during a performance of Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre in London.
Review Roundup: What Did the Critics Think of Ian McKellen in PLAYER KINGS?
by Aliya Al-Hassan - April 12, 2024
by Aliya Al-Hassan - April 12, 2024
Bringing together Shakespeare's two great history plays, Player Kings is now open at the Noël Coward Theatre. Ian McKellen plays Falstaff in a new version of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, adapted by the award-winning writer and director Robert Icke. A divided country, leadership crumbling, corruption in the air.
Review: PLAYER KINGS, Noël Coward Theatre
by Alexander Cohen - April 12, 2024
by Alexander Cohen - April 12, 2024
Ian McKellen is a mesmerizingly athletic Falstaff in Robert Icke's iconoclastic fusion of Henry IV parts 1 and 2
Photo: Check Out All New Artwork For Ian McKellen-Led PLAYER KINGS
by Stephi Wild - March 29, 2024
by Stephi Wild - March 29, 2024
Player Kings, led by Ian McKellen, has released all new artwork ahead of its first preview in the West End this Monday 1 April. Check out the photo here!
PLAYER KINGS Starring Ian McKellen Will Embark on UK Tour
by Stephi Wild - March 21, 2024
by Stephi Wild - March 21, 2024
Ian McKellen-led Player Kings, adapted and directed by Robert Icke from William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 is to go on a UK tour following its West End run.
Photo: First Look at Ian McKellen as Falstaff in PLAYER KINGS
by Stephi Wild - March 1, 2024
by Stephi Wild - March 1, 2024
An all new photo has been released of Ian McKellen as Falstaff in Player Kings. Check out the photo here!
Interview: 'She's Quite a Character!': Actor Clare Perkins on Modernising Shakespeare and Playing Mistress Quickly in Robert Icke's PLAYER KINGS
by Kat Mokrynski - February 22, 2024
by Kat Mokrynski - February 22, 2024
Player Kings, a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, arrives on the West End in April. Recently, we had the chance to speak with Clare Perkins, who plays Mistress Quickly. We discussed taking on a modern version of Shakespeare and what she hopes audiences take away from the work.
Photos: Inside Rehearsal For PLAYER KINGS, Starring Ian McKellen!
by Stephi Wild - January 30, 2024
by Stephi Wild - January 30, 2024
Rehearsal photos have been released for Player Kings, adapted by Robert Icke from William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. Check out the photos here!
Toheeb Jimoh and Richard Coyle Join Ian McKellen in Robert Icke's Production of PLAYER KINGS
by Stephi Wild - January 19, 2024
by Stephi Wild - January 19, 2024
The full cast has been revealed for Player Kings, adapted by Robert Icke from William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2.
Player Kings FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long has Player Kings been running on the West End?
Player Kings opened at the Noel Coward Theatre on Monday Apr 01, 2024 and has now been running for 1 month.
Player Kings History
Other Productions of Player Kings
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