Writing about the RSC Shakespeare got me interested in the Henry IV plays again, and that planted the seed of an idea for a somewhat larger project.
What I’m going to try to do is this: re-read the plays in the second tetralogy — Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V — and compare a set of audio plays based on them. There are two complete series, one by the Marlowe Dramatic Society, an old collection recently republished by Argo Classics; and of course the Arkangel Shakespeare; and the BBC Radio Shakespeare, which is missing Henry V, an omission that I propose piecing out with the production of that play from Naxos. (That has the interesting advantage of having Simon West playing Henry V, who also plays Richard II in the BBC production.)
There are, of course, lots of other adaptations that could be included. Why not bring in The Hollow Crown? I never did finish watching that, and this would be a perfect opportunity. But if I do that, why not also include the older Age of Kings series, which is also sitting there on my to-do list? Or the Branagh or Olivier films? Or the old BBC television adaptations? Or the Caedmon recordings? (I may in fact bring those in, although I’ve only been able to track down the first two plays in the tetralogy from that wonderful series.)
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that while I can read anything, I can’t read everything. I have to draw the line somewhere. As much as I love movies and television, I’m an audio hound at heart, so I think I’m going to stick with that.
Tad's Shakespeare Diary 