England i starten af 1400-tallet. Kong Henry IV er skuffet over sin søn, kronprins Hal, der mest går op i at drikke og more sig med den storpralende svirebror John Falstaff. Da tronen trues af et oprør, beslutter Hal at genvinde sin fars tillid ved at bevise sit værd i kamp. Men for at blive konge må Hal også slå hånden af sine gamle venner - deriblandt Falstaff.

En temperamentsfuld bonde med en mystisk hemmelig baggrund bringer ham ud af en obskur og forglemmelig eksistens under Henrik d. 4's regering. Efter nogle dramatiske begivenheder havner han tæt ved det kongelige hof og snart holder han det britiske riges fremtidige skæbne i sin hånd. Men han skal udkæmpe mange dueller inden han kan få både sin udkårne og den retmæssige position i riget.

The Graham Vicks production of FALSTAFF opened the new Covent Garden Royal Opera House, and was not to everybody's taste; the garish primary colours of the costumes. The staging is effective--the complicated counterpoint of the ensembles is reflected in unobtrusive blocking that keeps the vocal lines clear and separate, especially in the final fugue. Bryn Terfel's Falstaff is a memorable creation, self-mocking and self-aggrandising at the same time--so much so, in fact, that he almost does not need the vast prosthetic body he has to wear for the part. Desiree Rancatore is an admirably sweet-toned Nanetta; Bernadette Manca di Nissa an appropriately sardonic Mistress Quickly; Roberto Frontali as Ford, in his Act 2 scena, perfectly distils and parodies every jealousy aria ever written, including Verdi's own. Haitink's conducting is exemplary in the lyrical passages, gets almost everything out of the fast and furious comic sections.

2015 Takarazuka Revue production of "Sanctuary," a dramatization of the early days of marriage between King Henri VI of France and Margot de Valois, filmed for television.