A kingdom Jack'd

A Kingdom Jack’d is a satirical verse-play based on William Shakespeare’s Henry IV dramas. It opens in 1399 England, following the deposal of Richard II and what should have been the coronation of Henry IV. Instead, political machinations have thrust the clownish rogue John “Jack” Falstaff to the throne. With his band of cutthroats running court and the Lancasters reduced to mere rebels, Britain descends into chaos. The country’s only hope lies with Shakespeare’s literary creation Doll Tearsheet and his other peripheral, disempowered female characters. At play’s end, peace is gained with Falstaff’s flight into exile and the dismantling of patriarchal order.