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A World of Fools and Knaves

By Mike Walker. Henrietta Maria, Charles I's Catholic queen, watches her husband, the 'second-best-king', fail to keep a hold on the reins of government.

by Mike Walker. Henrietta Maria - Charles I's Catholic queen - watches her husband, the 'second-best-King', fail to keep a hold on the reins of government.

Directed by Jessica Dromgoole & Sasha Yevtushenko
Sound design by Colin Guthrie

Production co-ordinator: Selina Ream
Studio managers: Martha Littlehailes, Alison Craig

Notes:
An inauspicious marriage of three people changes when the third member, the Duke of Buckingham is assassinated. Charles becomes closer to his Queen Henrietta Maria and what started a marriage of convenience, becomes much deeper as the two try to support each other through turbulent times. Neither of them is able to read the signs of the times as politics and political philosophy take radical new directions. A man of great artistic taste, Charles is both too thoughtful and too indecisive to rule successfully and despite his hatred of war, war becomes his inheritance. Like many fundamentally decent men, Charles lacks iron: the ability to be utterly ruthless when necessary and merciful when expedient.

58 minutes

Last on

Sat 13 Jul 2013 21:00

Credits

Role Contributor
King Charles I Julian Rhind-Tutt
Henrietta Maria Vanessa Kirby
Buckingham Dominic Mafham
Lucy Carlyle Kate Fleetwood
Strafford Anton Lesser
John Pym Vincent Franklin
Eleanor Amaka Okafor
Ensemble Ben Crowe
Ensemble Michael Bertenshaw
Ensemble Paul Stonehouse
Ensemble Philippa Stanton
Ensemble Matthew Watson
Ensemble Sean Murray
Ensemble David Seddon
Writer Mike Walker
Director Jessica Dromgoole
Director Sasha Yevtushenko

Broadcasts

  • Sun 7 Jul 2013 15:00
  • Sat 13 Jul 2013 21:00

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