In the early 1980s the B.B.C. did the complete plays of William Shakespeare in a series that ran over five years. They played in the U.S.A. once, and then never played again. It's a pity, because some of the Shakespeare plays (TIMON OF ATHENS, PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE, ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL, CYMBELINE) are not produced that frequently. Of the 37 or 38 titles (depending on if you count THE TWO NOBLE KINSMAN that Shakespeare wrote with John Fletcher) that are usually ascribed to the Bard, only twenty get produced. Look at the titles here, and see how many movie versions of OTHELLO, MACBETH, HAMLET, ROMEO AND JULIET there are as opposed to say AS YOU LIKE IT or MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
Shakespeare's plays are divided up into three groups: Histories, Tragedies, and Comedies. There is actually some overlap, as several of the tragedies (JULIUS CAESAR, CORIOLANUS, ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, KING LEAR, CYMBELINE) are based on historical or legendary figures). But the one's officially labeled "Histories" have these titles: KING JOHN; RICHARD II; HENRY IV, PARTS I and II; HENRY V; HENRY VI, PARTS I, II, and III; RICHARD III; HENRY VIII). We are aware that Shakespeare also wrote a scene in a play whose manuscript exists called The Play of "SIR THOMAS MORE", dealing with the life of that political writer and martyr. As More was a contemporary (and victim) of Henry VIII, those two plays are contemporary in historical content, and only the lack of a play called HENRY VII prevent their linking with the bulk of the plays from RICHARD II to RICHARD III (all dealing with the years from 1397 to 1485. As we realize other plays of Shakespeare's may be missing or non-recognized so far (recently one called EDWARD III was suggested as a play of Shakespeare's and produced to mixed reviews; Charles Hamilton, the New York autograph expert, found a missing play, CARDENIO, based on a Cervantes' story a decade ago), it is likely there were plays called HENRY II or EDWARD THE CONFESSOR. History plays were very popular.
But at this moment KING JOHN is unique as the first (in terms of chronology) of the histories, and the most isolated one. JOHN takes place from 1199 - 1216, when that monarch reigned and died. We have been aware of him from other sources. As the troublesome rival and younger brother of Richard the Lion Hearted (King Richard I) he is important in the films THE LION IN WINTER, THE CRUSADES, KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADES, ROBIN HOOD, ROBIN AND MARIAN. He is the unscrupulous schemer, out to get that throne his brother Richard possessed. Unlike the later King Richard III (as Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More presented him) he is not a successful schemer. He only gets the throne when Richard dies. Richard had no legitimate heir. So John has no real problem - except everyone hates and distrusts him.
KING JOHN follows as the pig-headed monarch turns off his nobles (culminating in his greatest "achievement" - the Magna Carta he was forced to sign), gets his kingdom under a papal interdict (he never learned from his brilliant father's example with Thomas A'Becket to avoid controversies with Rome), and he allows the English hating Philip of France (again, remember THE LION IN WINTER) to invade to depose the interdicted John. He also faces an attempt to put the son of his older brother Geoffrey to replace him. It's a messy bit of history - another reason it is not frequently performed.
Leonard Rossiter is best recalled for his comedy performances, especially in the Reginald Perrin television series. He gave a convincing performance here as an unscrupulous and inept monarch, who managed to lose control very quickly. The amazing thing was he died still King, and passing on the throne. Luc Arthur played Arthur, the nephew who became such an unwitting threat to the monarch, and John Thaw played Hubert De Burgh, who tries to help young Arthur but fails.
Shakespeare's plays are divided up into three groups: Histories, Tragedies, and Comedies. There is actually some overlap, as several of the tragedies (JULIUS CAESAR, CORIOLANUS, ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, KING LEAR, CYMBELINE) are based on historical or legendary figures). But the one's officially labeled "Histories" have these titles: KING JOHN; RICHARD II; HENRY IV, PARTS I and II; HENRY V; HENRY VI, PARTS I, II, and III; RICHARD III; HENRY VIII). We are aware that Shakespeare also wrote a scene in a play whose manuscript exists called The Play of "SIR THOMAS MORE", dealing with the life of that political writer and martyr. As More was a contemporary (and victim) of Henry VIII, those two plays are contemporary in historical content, and only the lack of a play called HENRY VII prevent their linking with the bulk of the plays from RICHARD II to RICHARD III (all dealing with the years from 1397 to 1485. As we realize other plays of Shakespeare's may be missing or non-recognized so far (recently one called EDWARD III was suggested as a play of Shakespeare's and produced to mixed reviews; Charles Hamilton, the New York autograph expert, found a missing play, CARDENIO, based on a Cervantes' story a decade ago), it is likely there were plays called HENRY II or EDWARD THE CONFESSOR. History plays were very popular.
But at this moment KING JOHN is unique as the first (in terms of chronology) of the histories, and the most isolated one. JOHN takes place from 1199 - 1216, when that monarch reigned and died. We have been aware of him from other sources. As the troublesome rival and younger brother of Richard the Lion Hearted (King Richard I) he is important in the films THE LION IN WINTER, THE CRUSADES, KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADES, ROBIN HOOD, ROBIN AND MARIAN. He is the unscrupulous schemer, out to get that throne his brother Richard possessed. Unlike the later King Richard III (as Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More presented him) he is not a successful schemer. He only gets the throne when Richard dies. Richard had no legitimate heir. So John has no real problem - except everyone hates and distrusts him.
KING JOHN follows as the pig-headed monarch turns off his nobles (culminating in his greatest "achievement" - the Magna Carta he was forced to sign), gets his kingdom under a papal interdict (he never learned from his brilliant father's example with Thomas A'Becket to avoid controversies with Rome), and he allows the English hating Philip of France (again, remember THE LION IN WINTER) to invade to depose the interdicted John. He also faces an attempt to put the son of his older brother Geoffrey to replace him. It's a messy bit of history - another reason it is not frequently performed.
Leonard Rossiter is best recalled for his comedy performances, especially in the Reginald Perrin television series. He gave a convincing performance here as an unscrupulous and inept monarch, who managed to lose control very quickly. The amazing thing was he died still King, and passing on the throne. Luc Arthur played Arthur, the nephew who became such an unwitting threat to the monarch, and John Thaw played Hubert De Burgh, who tries to help young Arthur but fails.