TV
An Age of Kings (BBC Drama, Robert Hardy, Sean Connery)
An Age of Kings was the ambitious dramatisation of five Shakespearean plays as a historical project.
In An Age of Kings, the kings in question were Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III, as portrayed by William Shakespeare in his plays of the same titles. Spread over 15 episodes, a fortnight apart, the plays were dramatised in sequence to give the overall effect of depicting a continuous stretch (86 years) of British history.
Always as a backdrop was the lust for the throne and the burdens of wearing the crown. Michael Hayes directed the plays and the theme music was composed by Sir Arthur Bliss. Featured actors included Robert Hardy, Paul Daneman, David Williams, Sean Connery and Eileen Atkins.
Writer: William Shakespeare / Music: Sir Arthur Bliss / Producer: Peter Dews
UK / BBC / 15×60 minute episodes / 28 April – 17 November 1960