Reviewed by Frank McKone
April 11
Cast
King Henry: JK Kazzi; Dauphin: Jack Halabi
Westmoreland: Alex Kirwan; Alice/Messenger:Odile Le Clezio
Katherine/Boy: Ava Madon; Michael Williams/Scroop: Harrison Mills
Exeter: Ella Prince; King of France/Canterbury/French Soldier: Jo Turner
Montjoy: Mararo Wangai;
Grey/English Soldier/Understudy: Rishab Kern
Grey/English Soldier/Understudy: Ziggy Resnick
Creatives
Director: Marion Potts
Set & Costume Designer: Anna Tregloan
Composer & Sound Designer: Jenthro Woodward
Movement, Intimacy & Fight Director: Nigel Poulton
Voice Director: Jack Starkey-Gill
Stage Manager: Sean Proude
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| The action begins in preparation for the Battle of Agincourt |
In a highly original approach to Shakespeare’s asking for our indulgence for two hours, Marion Potts has made Henry V – the third in the Henry IV and V set – fit neatly into 1 hour 50 minutes with no interval:
Act 1, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 1, Scene 1: London. An ante-chamber in the KING'S palace.
Act 1, Scene 2: The same. The Presence chamber.
Act 2, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 2, Scene 1: London. A street.
Act 2, Scene 2: Southampton. A council-chamber.
Act 2, Scene 3: London. Before a tavern.
Act 2, Scene 4: France. The KING'S palace.
Act 3, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 3, Scene 1: France. Before Harfleur.
Act 3, Scene 2: The same.
Act 3, Scene 3: The same. Before the gates.
Act 3, Scene 4: The FRENCH KING's palace.
Act 3, Scene 5: The same.
Act 3, Scene 6: The English camp in Picardy.
Act 3, Scene 7: The French camp, near Agincourt:
Act 4, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 4, Scene 1: The English camp at Agincourt.
Act 4, Scene 2: The French camp.
Act 4, Scene 3: The English camp.
Act 4, Scene 4: The field of battle.
Act 4, Scene 5: Another part of the field.
Act 4, Scene 6: Another part of the field.
Act 4, Scene 7: Another part of the field.
Act 4, Scene 8: Before KING HENRY'S pavilion.
Act 5, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 5, Scene 1: France. The English camp.
Act 5, Scene 2: France. A royal palace.
And it works a treat, because it concentrates the play into realising our understanding of the real autocrat behind the playboy Prince Hal. He doesn’t become this just because he becomes King Harry. He just is a coercive control freak, which director Marion Potts makes clear in the final scene of enforced acceptance by the French Princess Katherine that he “loves” her.
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| Katharine has no real choice |
The great thing about this production, in addition to Nigel Poulton’s marvellous impact as Movement, Intimacy & Fight Director, is the clarity of the voices – in French as well as English – achieved by Jack Starkey-Gill’s directing. Instead of speaking in standard Shakespearian stage English like in the Olivier film of the 1940s, everyone from the King down makes absolutely sure that whoever they are talking to – including us – understand exactly what they mean.
If you thought this theatrically choreographed version, in modern dress, is just a “modern” interpretation to make Shakespeare “new”, you’ll find yourself surprised, especially through the character of Prologue, how modern Shakespeare was in his time – for he clearly shows how manipulative and self-serving dictators are; in this case in the Plantaganet/Tudor family of his very Queen.
How prescient he was, when we look around the world today, when we see men in power pushing on to win Battles of Agincourt in real wars as well as trade wars in our nightly news.
Bell Shakespeare has made Henry 5 out of Henry V, an exciting and important contribution to our thinking about politics – democratic and autocratic; about the anti-humane character of warfare; and about the destruction of personal worth and integrity, at the individual level – especially, but not only, for women.
This a Bell Shakespeare production which should tour world-wide.
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| King Harry incognito, pretending to be a common man, while gathering intelligence. |
