Plantagenets as rich business empire in NYC the early 1900’s. Richard is predictably the literal worst at managing the fortune (“Our Irish prospects are LOSSES, why is he pouring millions into something that will never make money!”) so while Richard is in Ireland, Henry starts subtly splitting off his portion. His advisor Percy (called Northumberland) sees this as an opportunity for advancement and pushes Henry to start taking for himself as well. The rest of Richard II plays out against the background of WWI’s outbreak, and Aumerle (instead of shooting Richard with a crossbow, heh) manipulates the draft. Richard dies in the trenches, terrified and alone. (Last monologue intact because can you imagine a Richard who’s become so immune to the sound of bullets that he thinks himself in silence.)
After the war, during the Prohibition Era, Percy and his son Hotspur are making things difficult for Henry. (Perhaps they and the Plantagenets are setting themselves up as rival families of the Mafia?) Henry’s mostly just pissed that his son Hal is hanging out in Harlem, smuggling alcohol and hanging out with a black boxer called Poins, a speakeasy owner Mistress Quickly, and an old drunken sax player Falstaff. Hal, as we know, is merely biding his time until he comes of age. (Poins’ sister is pregnant with a child that may or may not be his.) Things between the Percys and the Plantagenets come to a head (in whatever way, THINGS WHAT I HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT) and Hal performs admirably.
Hal goes back to Harlem for a last bit of drunken carousing as his father ails; his father dies (what to do with the crownsnatching scene?) and the stock market comes crashing down. Hal becomes the next Henry Plantagenet and shocks everyone by turning away Falstaff. (Poins, of course, disappears into the ether.)
It’s the Great Depression now, and Henry Plantagenet V shocks everyone by still associating with the common people rather than hiding away with his inheritance (Not sure how this would work logistically? HAVE NOT DONE RESEARCH. But this goes for the war in France; it’s instead about the struggles and successes of the ordinary workers during the Great Depression.)
Henry gets drafted into WWII and dies a tragic young death on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day (instead of dying of dysentary).
(Source: borgevino)
