Classical Take on Henry V at Shakespeare National Theatre

The first thing Mike and I saw when we arrived at Henry V at the Shakespeare Theatre Company fifteen minutes late last night was a giant papier-mache head with white balls coming out of it. This was a joke that the Dauphin of France sent to King Henry V, sealing the latter's decision to war against France. While this piece of modern know-how detracted from the drama of Henry V, the overall production uses a traditional approach that illuminates the power of Shakespeare's language.

The Shakespeare Theatre is producing Henry V concurrently with Richard II. These histories with overlapping themes share the same exact cast, featuring Michael Hayden as both King Richard and King Henry. This production makes good use of a spare set and three chorus members to paint a picture of the battles and transition from scene to scene, as the players in Elizabethan times needed to do.

Of course, the production is also aided by excellent sound effects during scene changes to mimic the sounds of battle. In addition, elaborate costumes helps the audience clearly distinguish between the French (ostentatious) and English (modest).

Similarly, the acting struck a good balance between flashy and subdued, with each style being used at the right time. Tom Story plays the Dauphin for laughs, injecting a bit of haughty French nasality into every line. He appears as a helpless, flabby sap as opposed to an evil enemy. Story provides good comic relief, though at the cost of credibility.

In contrast, Michael Hayden's Henry is more subtle and convincing. Hayden's Henry evolves over time. While he initially bursts into anger at seeing the Dauphin's tennis gag, by the end of the play, Henry has become a man who is incapable of such a quick, knee-jerk reaction. By communicating with his soldiers and embarking on war together, Henry becomes more reflective. In contrast to the Kenneth Branagh's rousing Saint Crispen's Day Speech, Hayden delivers his version as a fireside chat. He looks each soldier in the eye, recruiting each man personally, as if to say "You, indeed are my brother." It's a solemn, unvictorious tone, that ultimately succeeds.