John Oldcastle John Oldcastle Sir John Oldcastle (died 14 December 1417) was an English Lollard leader. Being a friend of Henry V, he long escaped prosecution for heresy. When convicted, he escaped from the Tower of London and then led a rebellion against the King. Eventually, he was captured and executed in London. He formed the basis for William Shakespeare's character John Falstaff, who was originally called John Oldcastle. Oldcastle's date of birth is unknown, although dubious and possibly apocryphal sources place it variously at 1360 or 1378. His father was Richard Oldcastle of Almeley in northwest Herefordshire. His grandfather, also called
Acting Shakespeare one-man show, 'A Knight Out' (using the play on word as a result of his being knighted in 1991) but this time focusing, as well as stage roles, his now ever increasing film roles. As with Acting Shakespeare he toured around England, Europe and America to great acclaim. A predecessor of this show's format was Sir John Gielgud's Ages of Man (play) which consisted of Gielgud in front of an audience with a mixture of both speeches and anecdotes. Acting Shakespeare Acting Shakespeare is a one-man show of Shakespearean monologues interspersed with theatrical anecdotes devised and performed by Ian McKellen.