Reflecting on unexpected camaraderie born from the experience of seeing the three parts of Henry VI, the late Bernard Levin observed: "By the end of the day, complete strangers were offering each other wine gums." Thirty years on, the Royal Shakespeare Company is again offering audiences the chance to relish an orgy of theatre-going stretching over 12 hours, as the RSC's history cycle marches triumphantly on to London. The Henry VI trilogy forms the centrepiece of this great ensemble effort, which has won back so much lost ground for the RSC. And, if anything, the history cycle looks even more impressive in the Roundhouse than it did in Stratford.

Henry VI may be the work of a young man, but the plays offer an irresistible narrative, which as director Michael Boyd says "marries the scope of War and Peace, The Sopranos and the Bible". At 10.30am, Henry V's coffin arrives on the stage and by supper time, we had witnessed the 100 Years War, Cade's Rebellion and the Wars of the Roses unfold. The factional in-fighting breaks out over the corpse of the warrior king, whose ghost is the first of many troubled souls to stalk the stage.

Part one is largely dominated by the wars against the French, under the wonderfully camp Dauphin (John Mackay), all too happy to leave Joan of Arc, played with a wild earthiness by Katy Stephens (above), to lead the onslaught on the divided English. The death scene of the heroic Lord Talbot (Keith Bartlett) and his son, played by Lex Shrapnel, a fast emerging talent, will linger long in the memory. But then so will Clive Wood as the Duke of York and Chuk Iwuji as the saintly king (pictured right), who moves from awkwardness of youth to the abused monarch, overwhelmed by forces of evil. For all the battles and betrayals, with each new faction attempting to exceed their elders for savagery, Boyd presents this sweeping view of history with clarity, recognising that narrative is everything with these plays, underlining Shakespeare's view that anarchy is the worst horror visited on mankind.

Actors take on a number of parts. Only moments after being condemned to the flames, Stephens is back on stage as Margaret, a role relished by the likes of Peggy Ashcroft and Helen Mirren. The She-Wolf of France demands star quality and Stephens provides it over the best part of nine hours on stage, baring her teeth in the court intrigues of Part II before becoming a full participant in the continuous butchery as the War of the Roses rage in the final part. In this nightmare vision of England, Jonathan Slinger leads the way in the cycle of bloodletting as a psychopathic young Crookback. And all this foreshadows his performance as Richard III.

The RSC cycle of histories continues at the Roundhouse until May 25. Box office: tel. 0844 8001110 9 (www.rsc.org.uk/london).