HENRY VI

Malvern Festival Theatre

SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE (GLOBE THEATRE ON TOUR)

Graham Butler as King Henry VI

What an absolute delight it is to be able to experience a Globe Theatre production without the trek to London. Malvern Festival Theatre is home to a band of immensely talented players this week as they present the three parts of Henry VI over three nights before running the trilogy all day on Saturday. On Sunday the action moves to the historic battlefield in Tewkesbury for an open air telling of Shakespeare’s interpretation of this King’s reign.

A towering set provides a suitably bleak platform for the action that takes place in England and France following the death of King Henry V. Part 1, entitled Harry The Sixth, sees struggles for power on home turf as well as across The Channel. While the nobles begin to divide their loyalties between the house of York and Lancaster, the scheming Bishop of Winchester (Mike Grady) seizes the opportunity to gain power and influence. The French, led by Charles The Dauphin (Simon Harrison) are victorious in many recent battles with the English but take a beating in Orleans. They soon find a new alley in the form of Joan of Arc (Beatriz Romilly), whose supernatural influence changes their fortunes until she is eventually captured and France surrender. Peace loving Henry (Graham Butler), in an effort to unite nations, agrees to marry the beautiful, Margaret of Anjou (Mary Doherty) and this where we leave Part 1, with a vibrant celebration.

This is a lavish production, with elegant costumes, much swashbuckling and a wonderful use of percussion to heighten the experience. All of the cast are delightfully eloquent and although the more mature cast members better master vocal strength, everyone’s dialogue is wonderfully clear. Director, Dominic Dromgoole, has nurtured excellent performances from the entire cast and the contrast offered between the almost pantomimic baddy of the Bishop and Monty Python like French knights, alongside the more naturalist characters of Lord Talbot (Andrew Sheriden) and Richard Plantagenet (Brendan O’Hea) works perfectly and is probably more true to Shakespeare’s original intentions. Nigel Hastings, whose stage presence is captivating and engaging, gives a particularly notable performance in this production.

If you have been enjoying the recent series of The White Queen, or the accompanying documentary then you will certainly enjoy this, which is effectively the intriguing prequel. Each play stands on it’s own so it won’t matter if you missed the first part. Get your tickets now!