Let’s say it straight away: this is very much an actor’s play. Director Lindsay Posner focuses on dissecting characters, clearly scrutinising every move. The character of the main protagonist is particularly well-examined.

Indeed, “Player Kings” is a actor’s benefit for Ian McKellen. A Shakespearean actor, who has seemingly played every Shakespearean role including Hamlet and King Lear, has long resisted Falstaff—yet here he finally is, persuaded. “Player Kings” merges two Shakespearean chronicles,…