But beside these scenes of glorious misrule gathers a nationwide rebellion led by the Duke of Northumberland and his charismatic son, Hotspur.

The first installment of Shakespeare's gripping account of the rise of Hal from idle barfly to monarch-in-waiting combines compelling power politics with the hilarious antics of Falstaff, Shakespeare's greatest comic creation.

Roger Allam ('a Falstaff to treasure' -The Times) won the 2011 Best Actor Olivier Award for his performance in Henry IV Parts 1 and 2.

Jamie Parker stars as Prince Hal ('superb' -The Guardian, 'marvelous' -Time Out); he appeared in As You Like It at the Globe in 2009, and was also in The History Boys at the National Theatre, on Broadway and on film.