Toronto Sun, June 29, 2001
Royal tale completes journey with Falstaff
By: John Coulbourn
Like masons fitting the keystone of an arch, the Stratford Festival completed its 'Making Of A King' series on Wednesday night with the opening of Falstaff (otherwise known as Henry IV, Part II), at the Tom Patterson Theatre.
And like a keystone, the production takes its place between the previously-opened Henry IV, Part I, and Henry V, not simply completing, but supporting much of the weight of Shakespeare's tale of the rise of Henry V.
As he did in the first installment of this royal triptych, Scott Wentworth directs with a powerful commitment to narrative, his scenes flowing together smoothly, almost seamlessly, as the story of Henry IV's troubled reign winds to its inevitable conclusion and the story of Henry V begins.
Happily, with the Festival's decision to through-cast the plays, Wentworth isn't the only talent returning to the telling of this tale. With Benedict Campell as the reigning monarch and Graham Abbey as the heir-apparent, their court is still plagued by the intrigues of mutinous nobles, led by Bernard Hopkins as the Archbishop of York. And while the father is supported in his reign by loyalists like the Lord Chief Justice (Stephen Russell) and the Earl of Warwick (Richard McMillan), Abbey's young Prince Hal moves between the court and his roistering friends. They are led by the portly knight, Sir John Falstaff, played with delightfully befuddled gravity by the venerable Douglas Campbell. This is a Falstaff of much more gravity than most would expect.
And, as one king dies and another mounts the troubled throne of England, it becomes, in this installment, Falstaff's story as much as it is the story of the two Henrys.
Caught up in visions of court favour, the hard-living old knight learns that the favour of a king is far more fickle than the goodwill of a boon drinking companion.
Kate Trotter as Doll Tearsheet, William Needles and Lewis Gordon as a pair of provincial justices, and Keith Dinicol as the bombastic Pistol join the cast, teaming with such quality performers as Diane D'Aquila, Barry MacGregor, Les Carlson, Robert Hamilton and Jonathan Goad (re-appearing as the ghost of Hotspur and in numerous character roles) to populate Shakespeare's Britain.
Like the other two parts of the trilogy, both of which opened during the Festival's opening week, this latest offering is impressive, even though it falls short of perfection. Wentworth and designer Patrick Clark lean so heavily on the play's darker elements that they give short shrift to much of its humour.
But taken as part of a whole that is definitely greater than the sum of all its parts, it represents an impressive achievement for the Festival -- and for all involved.
Fans of Shakespeare won't want to miss it -- nor should they.