Coming-of-age tale entertains

William Shakespeare’s "history plays" must always be approached with caution in terms of their historical accuracy, but with that fact duly noted, the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival production of "Henry IV, Part 2" provides a solid evening’s entertainment with two loosely connected stories.

One is the evolution of young Prince Hal from irresponsible rake-hell to iron-willed monarch. The other follows the low-life adventures of Sir John Falstaff — a rouge and antihero of rare proportions even by Shakespearean standards.

Falstaff dominates most of the story, and in actor Dan D. Randerson director Tony Pisculli has a solid and substantial Falstaff. Randerson plays the unprincipled knight with a full-bodied swagger over and above the "fat suit" that gives him the requisite bulk. Randerson is consistently good at playing a duplicitous know-it-all, but he plays the scene in which Falstaff sees his great plans for self-advancement go awry with such skill that it is easy to sympathize with Falstaff despite everything we know of him.

Alvin Chan (Prince Hal) does a magnificent role as the ne’er-do-well heir apparent. Chan plays a drunk quite well in an early scene, then does his most memorable work in the scene where Hal and his ailing father resolve their differences. Shen Nissan Sugai is likewise excellent as aging, ailing Henry IV.

Several other actors make important contributions. Dan Kunkel exudes menace as the cunning Archbishop of York, one of the play’s many designated bad guys, and then shows his formidable skills at physical comedy in the demanding role of Poins, one of Hal’s drinking buddies. Aaron Roberge has similar success as he plays the strict, no-nonsense Lord Chief Justice and then excels in the comic role of Feeble, an honorable but elderly man drafted for military service with Falstaff.

Mono-monikered Ka‘uhane shows his acting range in appearing first as the noble Earl of Northumberland and then submerging himself in the broad comic role of Silence opposite Patrick A. Karjala as Shallow.

Daniel Doohan (Pistol) commands attention as he interprets Falstaff’s sometime partner-in-debauchery as crude, lewd and a borderline psychopath. Danielle Vivarttas-Ahrnsbrak (Doll Tearsheet) smolders and sizzles in eye-catching style throughout her big scene. Elexis Draine (Mistress Quickley) has a good scene early on as a woman who apparently believes Falstaff will make good on his promise to marry her.

As with other HSF productions over the years, having women play male roles in a show where males are also playing males is sometimes problematic. Kris Goto (Falstaff Page) is obviously a woman playing a boy, but with no boys in the cast, she fits in well and makes the page an interesting character. However, having Lacey Perrine Chu play the major role of Prince John of Lancaster amid a troupe of men creates a needless distraction — just as it would have been a bad idea to have a male play Mistress Quickly or Doll Tearsheet in this production.

On the plus side, Pisculli’s choreography of the fight scenes is an asset as always. The brawl between Falstaff and Pistol is a highlight.

As for the colorful costumes, some characters wear what could be more or less 15th-century garb, while Falstaff looks like a 17th-century pirate and Vivarttas-Ahrnsbrak’s low-cut white dress slashed to midthigh would not be out of place in a Chinatown nightclub.