 Five Kings was announced as part of the newly revived Mercury Theatre 's second season in 1938 . John Houseman had secured a partnership with the prestigious Theatre Guild to produce the play for US $ 40 @,@ 000 , with an initial tour of Baltimore , Boston , Washington D.C. and Philadelphia before debuting on Broadway . Welles 's intended to stage only the first part of the play — which was primarily taken from Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 and Henry V — during the tour while simultaneously rehearsing Part Two and finally debuting the full production on Broadway . Houseman stated that the play 's aim was " to combine the immediate quality of the Elizabethan with all the devices and techniques possible in the modern theatre . " The cast included Welles as Falstaff , Burgess Meredith as Prince Hal , John Emery as Hotspur , Morris <unk> as Henry IV and Robert <unk> as the Narrator . The play 's music was composed by Aaron Copland . Welles commissioned an elaborate revolving set to be built , but it was not completed during the five weeks allotted to rehearsals . 
