Henry IV, Part 2 (2012)

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Henry IV 2:  Electric Boogaloo is a little hard to pin down.  On the one hand, the “affairs of state” plot is basically a retread of the rebellion in part 1.  The Hal ‘n’ Falstaff stuff, while a little heavier, isn’t as enjoyable as their scenes in the preceding play; there’s nothing, for example, that equals the liveliness and fun of their competing impersonations of the king.

 

Which isn’t to say that there’s no joy in Mudville.  Far from it – some of the plot earns a side-eye from me, but the character work is pretty excellent.  Henry himself takes more of a prominent place in his own play.  The king, wounded and ill after the battle against Hotspur, feels the coming dying of the light.  Jeremy Irons delivers on the “uneasy lies the head” scene, and as always, Henry’s scenes with Hal are great.

 

Speaking of Hal, he gets some choice moments to shine as well.  His best scene, of course, comes when the young prince takes his sleeping father’s crown and contemplates his impending ascendency.  Apprehension, grief, determination, fear, and anticipation mingle in a single speech, and Tom Hiddleston is just stunning.  I’d say it’s the highlight of the entire play.

 

It’s interesting to watch Hal’s progression through the Henry IV plays and Henry V.  This one is set very shortly after Henry IV’s first installment, but we can already see a change in Hal.  Part of this has come about due to the thorough dressing-down he received from his father in the last play – he’s determined to prove the old man wrong.  He’s also been affected by his experiences during the battle.  And, naturally, his father’s illness is weighing heavily on him; he’s begun to grieve his coming loss, and he knows that the crown will bring with it glory and burden (great power and great responsibility:  it’s not just for Spider-Man.)

 

Which isn’t to say he’s great king material yet.  He still likes hanging out in bawdy houses, and he’s still fond of pranks and deceptions.  However, the prince who went away to the wars is decidedly not the same one who returned.

 

I wonder why his father doesn’t see this.  For the vast majority of the play, Henry still acts like Hal is an embarrassment and a liability, a loose cannon who needs to be babysat by one of his younger brothers.  When he discovers Hal with the crown, Henry’s mind immediately jumps to the assumption that his son is an unfeeling little grasper who can’t wait for the king to die before claiming the throne.  The enormous feelings Hal has been wrestling with aren’t even considered.  Despite the royal backdrop, this part of the story feels very real and intimate, that of a son who’s trying to change and a father who still sees the same old screw-up.

 

Most of the cast is carried over from part 1, but there are a few newcomers I know.  David Bamber (Mr. Collins in the Ehle/Firth Pride and Prejudice) and Justin Edwards (Ben Swain from The Thick of It) both have small roles.  And, naturally, we have a couple more Who folk.  Add Iain Glen (“The Time of Angels” / “Flesh and Stone”) and Geoffrey Palmer (“The Voyage of the Damned”) to the roster.