Jesus College Shakespeare Project: Henry VI, part one

'And here I prophesy: this brawl today,
Grown to this faction in the Temple Garden,
Shall send between the red rose and the white
A thousand souls to death and deadly night.'
- Act 2, scene 4

Whilst England mourns the death of its warrior hero, King Henry V, France is re-arming under the inspirational leadership of Joan of Arc, jeopardising the gains won at Agincourt. Meanwhile, the protectors of the young King Henry VI jostle for supremacy, and a legal dispute near a rosebush in the Temple Hall Garden sets the course for a chain of events which will plunge the whole country into a bloody civil war.

After the tremendous success of its inaugural 2021/2022 season exploring the early comedies, the Jesus College Shakespeare Project embarks on Shakespeare's epic Wars of the Roses tetralogy - the three parts of Henry VI and Richard III - which will continue throughout 2023. Engaging with the devastating effects of war, the toppling of leaders, populism, and social injustice, before ending with a savagely comic depiction of the rise and fall of a tyrant, these plays have never felt more timely or scarily prescient.

The afternoon begins at 1.30pm with tea and coffee, before an introduction to the play by Dr. Amy Lidster at 2.00pm, and the performance at 2.10pm, lasting roughly 90 minutes. There will then be an opportunity for tea and cake, before a question and answer session with the cast and creative team. The event will end at 4.30pm. The cost of alumni tickets will enable us to present and film this production free of charge for local students from our Access and Outreach target schools.

Please note that this production contains scenes of war, assault, sexual coercion, self-harm, distressing depictions of capital punishment, depictions of the occult, grief, mental illness, jingoistic and sexist language, weapons, and sudden loud noises.