The Hollow Crown was devised in 1961 by John Barton for the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, later the Royal Shakespeare Company, as a celebratory entertainment by and about Kings and Queens of England. It was one of the most successful and entertaining productions for the RSC. Over 70 actors have performed it over the years and we are proud to be presenting these distinguished British actors in this exceptional revival.

From Richard II’s soliloquy at Pomfret Castle through to Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, by way of Victoria’s naively moving description of her own coronation and a 15-year old Jane Austen’s ‘partial, prejudiced and ignorant historian’s entertaining account of the monarchy from Henry IV to Charles I, the production gives a human face, often in their own words and usually comedic, to the changing role of the monarchy throughout the ages in an illuminating and beguiling way.