Theater Review:

A certain fascination of the British royals has always captivated attention, whether it is from serious students of history or those simply dabbling in pop culture. A good example is that the one person featured on more covers of People magazine than anyone else was Princess Diana.

Witness the current popularity of “The Tudors” on television or the recent “The Other Boleyn Girl” in movie theaters. And while we can’t say it started with William Shakespeare, his dramas, such as “Henry IV, Part I,” playing at A Noise Within in Glendale, help keep the intrigue alive.

Running a country is no easy task, and King Henry (Robertson Dean) has many challenges facing him, including disloyal subjects, unstable borders with Scotland and Wales and a wayward son. Henry’s hold on the throne is tenuous, questioned by the Percy family, led by the Earl of Northumberland (William Dennis Hunt), his son Henry (J. Todd Adams), nicknamed Hotspur, and his nephew Thomas, Earl of Worcester (Steve Weingartner).

Henry admires Hotspur’s bravery, wishing his own son Hal, Prince of Wales (Freddy Douglas), was so valiant. However, a disagreement over Hotspur’s refusal to give King Henry prisoners taken in a recent battle incites the Percys to plan a revolt. Hotspur’s previous admiration for King Henry is now reduced to references of “thorn” and “canker.”

Shakespeare counterbalanced this extreme drama with lighthearted comedy, coming in the form of Sir John Falstaff (Geoff Elliott), who charitably represents himself as “a goodly, portly fellow,” and spends his free time in a tavern. A more accurate description in modern words would be a fat, old, irresponsible party animal. Falstaff’s zest for life and careless attitude captivate young Prince Hal’s natural inclination to have fun while he can, but Hal knows that duty will soon call, and he must be ready, eventually telling his father, “I will redeem all this.”