Henry IV Parts 1 & 2

by William Shakespeare

The Utah Shakespeare Festival 2014 & 2015

Director Brian Vaughn
Scenic Designer Vicki Smith
Costume Designer David Mickelson
Lighting Designer Donna Ruzika
Sound Designer/Composer Joe Payne

All music composed by Joe Payne © 2014 & 2015, except for the Welsh traditional lullabies, Dinogad Smock and Suo Gan, arranged by Joe Payne and performed by Tina Scariano (Lady Mortimer).

In a very masculine production focused on father/son relationships and the internal struggle of duty, the score consisted of traditional Welsh lullabies, battle drums, angry brass, and variations of period drinking/rugby songs. The play began with a voiceover of Richard II (David Ivers) from within the mind of King Henry as he contemplates the state of his kingdom and reign. Throughout the last 15 minutes of the play, during all the battles and battle scenes, powerful drums underscored/overscored the action and drove the play towards its end until Hal and Hotspur's final sword fight when the haunting Welsh lullaby, Suo Gan, overtook the space. An exciting part of this production process is that USF is producing the history cycle in historical order, with recurring characters remaining the same cast member. So, the actor playing Hal in Henry IV Part 1 returns in Part 2, and grows up to be Henry V. An intriguing way to extend the audience's interest in a story, and a gamble that I believe will pay off, since the cast was fabulous.
 
Demo of Original Music and design content for Part 1.