9.0An epic chronicle of the dysfunctional Plantagenet family from the accession of the young Henry to the death of Richard, last of the Plantagenets. The vacillations of the priestly Henry lead to ungentlemanly behaviour, civil war, treason, murder, regicide, fratricide, and the relentless pursuit of power so characteristic of the Renaissance.
John Barton
BBC One
David Warner
Henry VI
Peggy Ashcroft
Margaret of Anjou
Donald Burton
Exeter / First Murderer
Alan Tucker
Prince Edward
Charles Kay
Sir John Hume / Clarence
David Hargreaves
Third Citizen / Norfolk
William Squire
Suffolk / Buckingham
1. Henry VI
Abridged versions of 1 Henry VI and 2 Henry VI up to Act 3, Scene 2 (Winchester's death).
2. Edward IV
A newly written scene followed by 2 Henry VI from Act 4, Scene 1 (the introduction of Jack Cade) onwards, and an abridged version of 3 Henry VI.
3. Richard III
Having helped his brother King Edward IV take the throne of England, the jealous hunchback Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plots to seize power for himself. Masterfully deceiving and plotting against nearly everyone in the royal court, including his eventual wife, Lady Anne, and his brother George, Duke of Clarence, Richard orchestrates a bloody rise to power before finding all his gains jeopardized by those he betrayed.
