Pac Rep's Henry VI, parts 1 and 2, has swordplay, adultery, and Joan of Arc--for starts.

In terms of ongoing soap operas, it''s hard to beat the history of the British royal family. Seduction, treachery, murder...they''ve got it all. The only melodrama that''s bigger might be the Bible. But whereas the guy who commissioned that story enlisted the aid of prophets and preachers to tell his tale, British royalty got some guy of questionable identity to chronicle their rises and falls. They did pretty good in finding William Shakespeare.

Pacific Repertory Theater is now in its penultimate season of presenting Shakespeare''s 10-play cycle chronicling the fall of the Plantagenet family, and the ensuing struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster. This summer, PRT is putting on Henry VI, parts I and II.

Henry VI is written in three parts, and picks up pretty much where Henry V left off. Whereas Henry V was a swashbuckling, heroic and well-loved (if short-reigned) king, Henry VI is a weak ruler governed by his court, most especially his feuding uncles, the Duke of Gloucester and the Bishop of Winchester. And it''s in the intrigues of the court that Shakespeare found the grist to grind his tale.

Fans of history and political intrigue, more than anyone else, will be taken with these plays. The first half of Part I, by necessity, introduces so many different characters, with so many different agendas, that it''s difficult to keep track of who wants what and why they think they''re entitled to it. Suffice it to say, there are lots of hands eager to snatch the crown from young Henry''s head, or at least control the brain inside it.

As has come to be expected from a Stephen Moorer production, both parts are beautifully staged. The opening choreography of Part I, in which the events that are about to be enacted are summarized, is particularly poetic. In the small confines of the Circle Theater, full-speed swordplay can be dangerously difficult (nothing''s more embarrassing than inadvertently lopping off an audience member''s head) so most of the fights are done in slow motion; it''s a tribute to both Moorer and his cast that the battles lose none of their intensity despite the lack of speed.

Both parts of Henry VI are studded with strong performances, with many of the actors playing multiple roles.

Right at the top of the list, Travis Brazil''s work has to be mentioned, first for his heroic but ill-fated Lord Talbot in Part I, and for his rebellious commoner, Jack Cade, in Part II. Brazil delivers a charismatic performance in both roles, offering a strong nobility in one, and a brash cockiness in the other. When Brazil was on stage, one felt his presence as much as saw it.

Equally impressive, but differently crafted, was the work by Kevin Black as the scheming Lord Suffolk, who finds a queen for Henry and then seduces her, and as the mincing Alexander Iden. Black builds his Suffolk from being nearly unnoticeable to commanding the stage (then Suffolk is murdered, and that''s the end of that). As Suffolk, he shares a very nice scene with Margaret (Emily Jordan), the woman-who-would-be-queen. Reminiscent of Taming of the Shrew (which, by the way, PRT opens Sept. 25 at the Outdoor Forest Theater), there''s a satisfying energy between Black and Jordan that presages the evil they intend to commit.

The always-dependable Michael D. Jacobs again turns in a strong performance. His Duke of Gloucester is nicely layered with both concern for his young nephew, disdain for the Bishop of Winchester, with a touch of calculated ambitiousness thrown in. He counterbalances that performance with a wild-eyed, raucous Dick the Butcher, one of Cade''s followers.

As Joan la Pucelle (aka Joan of Arc), Summer Serafin brings an elven grace to her character''s movement while also delivering a Joan that is both vulnerable and strong by degree. As Margaret, co-conspirator with and concubine to, Suffolk, Emily Jordan offers a nicely petty, jealous and scheming performance, quite clearly crafting a character with whom one would not want to tangle.

Peter Eberhardt''s Bishop of Winchester is suitably pompous and ponderous; Tim Hart does a nice job realizing Shakespeare''s mockery of the French, alternately arrogant and cowardly.

In the title role, David Mendelsohn is stuck with the difficult job of portraying a weak man in a powerful position. With mournful looks and whining supplications, Mendelsohn pulls off the difficult task, surprising us when he actually finds the strength to banish Suffolk from his court.

Both plays are presented on a bare stage, with RJ Wofford III''s heavy downlighting providing plenty of moody drama and Edie Dantes'' costumes, rich in both hue and detail, creating a sense of pageantry.

Pac Rep''s "Royal Blood" series concludes next summer with productions of Henry VI, Part III and Richard III. After that, who knows? There''s always the Bible.

Henry VI, parts 1 and 2, continues at Carmel''s Circle Theater through Oct. 12. Call 622-0100 for tickets and information.