HENRY IV PART II (Shake-Scene Shakespeare)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.patreon.com/shakesceneshakespeare

Available until: Unknown

At the end of this play, book holder Lizzie Hughes said Henry IV Part II wasn’t like one big play, it was like lots of little plays, one after another. I was so glad to hear her say that because I was thinking exactly the same thing, but I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to write it in my review.

Henry IV Part II probably isn’t quite a great play where structure is concerned, but it is definitely a great group of plays. It’s obviously a history because it’s about British historical events (even though King Henry isn’t in it very much), but it also feels like a tragedy for Henry IV as his strength slowly fades and also a coming of age story for Prince Hal, the future Henry V, as he grows up. But it’s also a comedy, with Falstaff and his gang getting into all sorts of trouble.

It’s not perfect as a play, but I doubt anyone could have done a better job than Shakespeare. He did have a really wonderful and moving story to tell about King Henry and Hal. There was too much of it to be added to the end of Part I, which is already very long, but there wasn’t enough of it to make up a play entirely about the current and future Kings. So he filled the play up with some brilliant short scenes, which are hilarious, audacious, crazy or a mixture of all three. It’s a fun but very tiring four hours!

Shake-Scene use the cue script tradition, which means no rehearsal unless something needs to be cleverly co-ordinated. There were a few moments like that, including the fight scenes. I don’t usually enjoy watching fight scenes, but they look so wonderful and so much fun on Zoom. But the scene that really stood out for me is the one where Hal takes the crown from Henry’s pillow. It must have been a really difficult scene to film. If a fight scene goes slightly wrong, it doesn’t matter quite so much because those scenes are fun, but the scene with the crown is so poignant (or poig, as cast member Eugenia Low would say), it really can’t be funny. It has to be perfect, or at least very close to perfect, and it is. It’s beautifully orchestrated by Alec Bennie (Hal), the unconscious King Henry (Alexandra Kataigida) and the owner of the hand that was seen carefully taking the crown out of Henry’s Zoom screen as it appeared in Hal’s. It is my favourite scene in Henry IV Part II (maybe even my favourite scene in the whole tetralogy) and Shake-Scene make it a really breathtaking moment.

As usual there are some incredible performances from the cast. Alexandra Kataigida has impressed me so much as Henry in Richard II, Henry IV Part I and now Henry IV Part II. Her acting is always perfect and consistent, but she has also shown the changes in Henry through the plays. In this play, he seems exhausted, physically and mentally, a lot of the time, but he still has determination and razor-sharp intelligence for a lot of the play. He is also so human. He does have weakness and he can be hurt and these scenes are so sad and sobering, but brilliantly performed.

Alec Bennie is equally good as Hal, slowly growing up through the play and accepting what his future must be. He is so much fun as naughty Hal and it shows Mr Bennie’s talent that he is able to change so completely but still be believably Hal. It’s an especially good storyline because my feelings about it are so mixed. It’s lovely to see him becoming so responsible but also sad as he slowly leaves his fun behind.

Matt Williams is brilliant as Falstaff again, having fun, getting into trouble and then having a sad moment of his own. He is so much fun to watch, but the scenes when he isn’t so happy are really sad, which shows how much Mr Williams has made us care about Falstaff. He isn’t just the comic relief. He’s a real human being too.

It’s another big cast so it would take a long time to mention everyone in every role, but if you watch it, you’ll see how great they all are. Geraldine Brennan is hilarious as the Hostess. The characterisation is perfect and as the actors seem to be staying in the same roles, I’m really excited to see her in The Merry Wives of Windsor where we’ll see even more comedy from her.

I love the way Dewi Hughes plays Mouldie – his characterisation and his hair are both brilliant. Ashleigh Harvey is hilarious as Shallow. The Chief Justice is quite a small role really, but Mark Cassidy is brilliantly intimidating. Nell Bradbury, Larissa Oates and Eugenia Low are excellent all the way through in multiple roles, but they add so much to the scenes as Henry’s younger sons. There’s a lovely sense of family.

It is really good to be watching so many Shake-Scene plays. The digital theatre world has got really busy and it’s wonderful, but I have missed Shake-Scene.