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Royal Shakespeare Company Henry V
Geoffrey Streatfield (Henry V) Photo by Ellie Kurttz - Copyright RSC
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Michael Boyd
1 April - 22 May 2008
A review bySimon Clancy for EXTRA! EXTRA!
In not adoring each and every written word that William Shakespeare once committed to a blank piece of paper, one often gets the sense that somewhere in theatre-land an elite squad of pro-Shakespeare super robots are gearing up to wrench your ugly, uncultured soul from your very being, before returning it to the creator for re-cultivation. How fortunate, then, that the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Henry V generally deserves nothing less than lavish praise: it is indeed a very fine production, brimming with an exuberant ensemble cast and some flashes of spectacular artistic direction by Michael Boyd. For those in the know, this Henry V is a product of the RSC’s ambition to stage Shakespeare’s History Cycle between April 1st and May 22nd at Camden’s Roundhouse. Of the incredible eight shows presented in that eight week period, Henry V follows Henry IV Part II, and centres on the newly-crowned king’s desire to extend his rule from England to the borders of France. It is a typically Shakespearean tale of a youthful king’s arrogance and ambition, and primarily depicts the impossible task faced by Henry (Geoffrey Streatfeild) as he and his disparate band of followers wage war on the French Army, culminating in the Battle of Agincourt. Cue triumphant, nationalistic speeches, much visceral stage-combat, and a generous helping of Shakespeare’s unique sense of humour. It is inevitable I suppose: with the RSC, what you see is nearly always what you get. Battle sequences, for instance, are distinguished on a minimalist set with white ribbons flung across the well-adapted auditorium while some powerful performances from the show’s leading cast members work in tandem with their exquisite costumes and make-up to conjure a believable window into Shakespeare’s realm.
Wela Frasier (Boy), Geoffrey Streatfeild (Henry V) Photo by Ellie Kurttz - Copyright RSC
Although from an acting point of view Streatfeild himself is perhaps not the pick of the bunch, he is convincing enough in his humane portrayal of Henry, too, and besides, an outstanding supporting turn by Jonathan Slinger as the Welsh Captain Fluellen more than makes up for Streatfeild’s shortcomings. You see, Slinger at once minces around the stage and commands it; his Welsh accent is perfectly exaggerated and his delivery of lines ends up no less than a masterclass in comic timing. Elsewhere, highlights include the scene in which Henry attempts to woo Lady Katherine (the likeable Alexia Healy as the French king’s daughter), as neither can communicate in the other’s native tongue, as it were.
Geoffrey Streatfeild (Henry V), Alexia Healy (Lady Katherine) Photo by Ellie Kurttz - Copyright RSC
Even better are the visual flourishes Boyd uses to enrich almost every scene: a tirade of tennis balls, a singing painting, and a procession of coffins. The question you really need to ask yourself is do you like Shakespeare? If you do, then you’ll get a kick out of Boyd’s Henry V. If you don’t, then you may just be due a visit from your local pro-Shakespeare super-bot.
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