Questions of leadership, national identity and the cost of war, Henry V is a play of our times

At a time filled with the echoes of too many Falstaff’s. When every dodgy geezer (and geezess) is calling on others to fall into the breach because… you know… foreigners, the immediate response to Henry V is ‘pffft’.

Enlightening and never strained

But “This is a thrilling, thought provoking version of Henry V, and its aptness for the hovering-on-the-verge-of-Brexit Britain is enlightening and never strained,” according to GP-W on the Fine Times Recorder site.

You just have to take a gander at the short film about the production to realise this is more consequences of tub-thumping than tub-thumping itself.

Just popping to Stf-theatre’s twitter page there’s a host of four-star reviews for all to see.

Deeply thoughtful

The Guardian called it ‘a deeply thoughtful study of war’s victors and victims‘. Now the ‘pfft’ is turning red in the face and is a bit embarrassed by its shallow response. (These are shallow times though aren’t they… aren’t they?)

Not as far as Elizbeth Freestone’s production of Henry V is anything to go by.

Elizabeth said: “I’m so excited to be working with this stellar cast on Henry V.

Equal voice

“Our ensemble company will relish digging into this exciting play, portraying the whole of society on the Agincourt battlefield – kings, captains, soldiers and civilians, here in Shakespeare’s play given equal voice and prominence.

The cost of war

“The questions Shakespeare raises about leadership, national identity and the cost of war are at the forefront of all our minds.”

And here’s a bit of the blurb:

Henry V compels us to examine our place in the world and look at our complex relationship with patriotism. Above all it speaks of the moral responsibility of our leaders: ‘Every subject’s duty is the king’s, but every subject’s soul is his own.’

Check out the reviews in the links above. And book your tickets.

Stf Theatre’s Henry V is currently on tour, calling into Exeter November 6-10.

23-27 Oct Malvern Theatres
http://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/henry-v/

30-3 Nov Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds
https://www.theatreroyal.org/shows/henry-v/

6 -10 Nov Exeter Northcott
https://exeternorthcott.co.uk/calendar/henry-v/