I’ve just spent the day with 700 people watching nearly 10 hours of Shakespeare.

I’m a little weary with a slightly numb rear, but heaven only know how shattered the ensemble company of the Royal Shakespeare Company feel after performing Henry IV parts one and two then Henry V, starting at 10.30am and finishing around 11pm tonight.

But I love the idea that on a rather nice spring Wednesday morning, the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm was buzzing with people about to embark on an epic theatrical experience.

Even more stunning in some ways is that given some of the audience, such as AC Grayling, the philosopher, and Ed Vaizey, the Tory’s shadow culture spokesman, could only make the third part of today’s trilogy, that must have meant others got out of bed for the trickier Henry IVs alone. And they don’t even have the benefit of all those rallying speeches – “Once more unto the breach….” - at which Laurence Olivier excelled.

But arts audiences know love the big event. From all-weekend music festivals to the complete run of Shakespeare’s history plays  there are people who want utter immersion. Already the RSC London season is close to sold out.

And though the series had some terrific reviews in

Stratford

before the

London

transfer, past experience suggests that isn’t entirely the point. The Coast of

Utopia

trilogy at the National Theatre was far from being Tom Stoppard at his best but was still a riveting day on the South Bank. The first time I ever saw this sequence of Shakespeare’s was about 20 years ago when I was a student and I can still remember the sense of achievement – and excitement. There’s a sense of ‘I’ve started so I’ll finish.’

And Michael Boyd, the RSC’s artistic director, is right – you get a different perspective on Shakespeare’s history cycle seeing the works all together. It may be too late now to get your tickets. But if you can, go.

ends