Prince Hal, son of Henry IV, seems to be squandering his life among the whores, boozers and petty rogues of Eastcheap. And the greatest of these rogues is the fat knight, Sir John Falstaff, a liar, glutton, lecher, cheat, braggart, fool and sponger who also possesses wit, warmth, intelligence and a gigantic sense of fun. But beside these scenes of glorious misrule gathers a nationwide rebellion led by the Duke of Northumberland and his charismatic son, Hotspur.

Henry IV Part 1 is the first instalment of Shakespeare’s gripping account of the rise of Hal from idle barfly to monarch-in-waiting, combining compelling power politics with the hilarious antics of Falstaff, Shakespeare’s greatest comic creation.

Henry IV Part 1 employs Renaissance staging and costume.

For more about Henry IV Part I at Shakespeare’s Globe, read the First Night Feature.