HENRY V (Guildford Shakespeare Company)****

 

By Louise

Link: https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/henry-5-online

Available until: Final performance on 25^th April at 7pm

There is only half an hour until the final performance of Guildford Shakespeare’s Henry V, but I really hope that everyone who is interested in seeing a short, brilliant production of Henry V will be able to watch this one.

Even if it is too late for you to watch this production online, Guildford Shakespeare will be doing in-person performances of She Stoops to Conquer and As You Like It later this year. They will not be reviewed on Mobile Theatre, but the standard of Guildford Shakespeare’s productions is so impressive, I’m sure they will be very good.

This production of Henry V was adapted and directed by Caroline Devlin. The adaptation is brilliant – it is only an hour long, but the story is easy to follow and although some characters were cut or merged with other characters, the production still gives a really strong sense of who all the characters are.

The production was performed live on Zoom, but I don’t think I’d ever have guessed if I hadn’t known. There are a lot of very successful Zoom productions and I think it is a really good medium for plays, but this production of Henry V looks more like a film. The Zoom backgrounds are used very convincingly, the passing of props is perfect and the special effects, which include fire, gunshot and a beautiful sunset, are amazing.

The costumes are also very impressive (the costume co-ordinator is Annett Black), the soundtrack is beautiful (sound design and composition by Matt Eaton) and there is also a very nice scroll effect which explains what happens in some of the battles (I think that was probably the work of digital design director Beth Mann). The fight scenes, which were directed by Philip d’Orléans, look really convincing and exciting without actually being scary so they are perfect.

The prologues have been divided between the actors and this works really well. There are only five actors in the whole production, with one actor playing Henry V and the others dividing the roles between them. The characterisations are so complete and individual, it is never confusing.

Gavin Fowler is a majestic Henry V. Some Kings are played as being quite cold and distant, but even though Henry has a lot of dignity and power, there is something very warm and present about him. Even when he’s doing what is expected of him as the King, Mr Fowler shows him as a real human being with emotions. It’s a very exciting performance and I really hope he’ll have the opportunity to play the complete role one day, if he hasn’t already.

The other actors play a lot of roles as I said. Chris Porter is a powerful, confident Exeter and a hilarious Pistol.  Emily Tucker gives Catherine a fun personality and I also really like her as the Constable, a role I didn’t really remember. Paula James is a wonderfully cold King of France and she does an incredibly moving speech as Williams, another character I’d forgotten about. Matt Pinches is brilliant as Catherine’s maid Alice and he is a very enthusiastic Dauphin. But they are good in all of their roles.

I am sad the production was quite short as I would have loved to have spent more time watching this wonderful cast, but it really is an excellent production.