But instead they took back seats once again, this time to Okonedo and Benedict Cumberbatch. With Bonneville’s Gloucester dead, one would think the two would step up this week. Ben Miles and Adrian Dunbar, the dueling Dukes of Somerset and York, who should be the leading voices in the angry chorus, last week spent the time as also-rans behind Hugh Bonneville’s Gloucester and Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret. His performance certainly improved over last week, once he was stripped of finery and thrown into prison, but it was still a frustrating one. Tom Sturridge isn’t bad as Henry VI, but he’s not near as striking a performance, and that continued to be true this week as well. Henry VI: Would I were dead, if God’s good will were so / For what is in this world but grief and woe? Partly this was due to the new series having to live up to Ben Whishaw’s remarkable portrayal of Richard II, which led off the first series.

I was uncertain of the ability of this new The Hollow Crown trilogy to stand up to the level of the first one after Henry VI Part 1 (and half of Part 2) played last week. By Ani Bundel 6 years ago The Hollow Crown continues the story of The Wars of the Roses with the second half of Shakespeare’s three play extravaganza, Henry VI.

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