Henry VI Part 2

Here's an odd thing you might not know - Shakespeare wrote (or did he) Henry VI Part 2 before Part 1, indeed Part 3 also seems to have pre-dated the 'first' instalment. How very Star Wars.

I mention this as I have just competed the second leg of my chronological journey through the Bard. Once again I have relied upon the BBC production (1982). All three parts of the saga are generally rather maligned - there are the issues of authorship/collaborative writing and they can be a tad boring if the action is not rushed at you. However if you have the time and the inclination, Part 2 is actually quite fun - probably the wrong adjective, but hey ho. In the BBC production there is a fine Henry from Peter Benson - he would definitely have been a Wet in Thatcher's terms. Add to that a well-drawn Jack Cade from Trevor Peacock and the fast paced staging and you have a commendable way of spending three plus hours. Next up Part 3.

Just so you know how things stand, I do not mean to suggest (by my opening sentence) that the anti-Stratfordians are other than a bunch of amusingly misguided loons. I merely point to the possibility, no likelihood, of co-authorship in the Henry VI trilogy.