Henry V - A drama for our troubled times
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Henry V by William Shakespeare at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 25 April 2026. Directed by Tamara Harvey.
Review by Wynne Lang.
Alfred Enoch returns to Stratford in the role of Henry V, after his breakout debut as Pericles in 2024, and provides us with an engaging portrayal of a young king thrust into leadership in the cauldron of war, one refreshingly free of bombast.
This Henry strives for the human touch, and it’s quickly apparent why men would follow him. He moves easily round the stage, always commanding our attention with the confidence and clarity of his verse speaking. His St Crispian’s day speech, famously delivered before Agincourt, avoids breast-beating- instead, it becomes an expression of defiance against the odds, rallying a hopelessly outnumbered army and instilling them with determination and comradeship.
He is still a king however, and when he needs to be ruthless, he is. His old acquaintance Bardolph is quickly sent to the executioner for robbing a church, and his order to cut the throats of prisoners as a reprisal against French atrocity is done with equally little hesitation.
It seems timely that a play about foreign wars and national identity should be being performed now. Justifications for the French invasion are sought and broadcast- it is clear the English want the war to have some moral case to support it. The production perhaps could have explored this more, as it isn’t obvious what it wants the audience to think about whether this is a moral crusade or not. Death and destruction follow - to what end? The closing lines of the play, spoken by the chorus in the text but here put into the mouth of Katherine, Henry’s newly-acquired bride, point to the future when their offspring, Henry VI, loses all the French territory so much blood had been spilled to gain. Perhaps this might have been emphasised a little more in this production.
It is in many ways a surprisingly old-fashioned production, being in period dress and without technological enhancement, save lighting and powerful sound to accompany battle scenes. As video projection had helped make the War of the Roses plays so well-received not so long ago, its absence seems surprising here. Instead, fighting is conveyed through impressive choreographed movement – though to me it was bloodless both literally and metaphorically.
The choreographed fighting is aided by the large expanse of space the staging affords it. There is large, high scaffolding at the rear of the stage, but nothing else. This scaffolding rotates with impressive effect, is in much use throughout the performance, but its rotation arc precludes anything else on set within its range.
This works well for scenes where the stage is well-populated, less well for more intimate moments. It’s at its best for instance, when Henry moves incognito through the camp the night before battle, when the lighting is largely supplied by hand-held lanterns. It’s less successful when Henry courts Katherine at the end of the play. Their courtship is usually presented in a light-hearted, teasing manner; here, it’s made awkward by the presence of her brother, the Dauphin’s body laid out on a table centre-stage. Perhaps some wider-point is being made; but it looks like a device to fill the space which otherwise the two prospective lovers would be lost in.
Alfred Enoch’s portrayal of Henry V elevates this production; but other fine performances contribute too, especially Paul Hunter in the comic role of Pistol. There is much comic interlude in the play, and he undermines any serious macho posturing with his ill-fitting tights and his capering around stage.
For further details and to book tickets go to: https://www.rsc.org.uk/henry-v/
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