THEATRE REVIEW: Henry V ★★★★★

Henry V

The Barn Theatre, Cirencester

Wednesday 22nd May - Saturday 22nd June 2019

Growing up as a child, when my passion for theatre was developing, I was surrounded by Shakespeare, whether that may have been performing as Lysander in Midsummer Night's Dream, studying Romeo & Juliet at school, or visiting my local theatre to watch the latest touring productions, but never in those years had I encountered Henry V. The current production playing at The Barn Theatre, in which was just recently announced within their new season, gave me the approach of going in with no prior knowledge, which I believe hugely benefited my experience and could even go as far to say that compared to all the other productions of Shakespeare’s classics I have seen in the past, this performance I would happily sit through repeat viewings without hesitation.

I have always found the most challenging part of Shakespeare being what most people would also find; the definition of the language in which is respectfully produced so poetically by the Bard. What Director Hal Chambers has done astonishingly with this production though is really making the audience feel engaged and a part of the action on stage through interaction and the use of the centre aisle in the auditorium. To deliver soliloquies with so much intimacy with the actors gives a heightened sense of euphoria, especially when delivered at us directly. The way the staging is used, which comprises mainly of scaffolding towers either side of the stage, is powerful and visually compelling from designer Emily Leonard, who brings every setting to life through colour, whether that’s from the war zone right down to the more modern locations, which gives an exciting twist in tone and accents, and particularly had the audience cheering during one moment.

Leonards’ costume designs gives visually again a definition between the multiple characters the majority of the cast portray, especially Lauren Samuels, who as Boy has completely and stunningly embodied the role, equipped with camo and beanie hat with and precise mannerisms, that when only moments later she returns as Katherine, with a beautifully convincing French accent and gorgeous blue flowing dress, it’s also hard to comprehend that she’s the same actor we saw only moments prior. On top of this, it’s fair to say that there is no weak link in this cast, who all put in so much commitment to their roles; Aaron Sidwell is particularly remarkable as Henry, who goes on such an emotionally draining journey to which you can tell Sidwell relishes on stage with such delight in his performance.

The real element though which must be congratulated in bringing Shakespeare to such a modern audience goes to the Lighting, Sound and Video Design. With Composer Harry Smith, Sound Designer Chris Cleal, Lighting Designer Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner, and Media Director Benjamin Collins, it’s clear that this production has been a hugely collaborative and open space for such creatively driven ideas; the way the Title Card appears near the beginning with the burning ashes around our titular characters name, mixed in with Cleal’s atmospheric and catastrophically emotive audio is spine-tingling, where within the first few moments you know you are in for an absolute treat. From the scene locations to the news reports, timed perfectly to the action on stage to create the element of a live feed, it’s almost certainly like watching an action packed movie right in front of your eyes, and Rowcliffe-Tanner’s lighting design is again atmospheric and cleverly used within the death scenes scattered throughout the play, timed to perfection.

Overall, it’s hard to talk about this production without giving it the justice that it deserves; it’s the perfect introduction to Shakespeare for those who knew little before, and those who have long been a fan of the Bard. If after this first visit to The Barn Theatre has had us walking away with such high energy and praise, there’s no doubt that we will be back within the months to see what else they have in store during their latest season, in such a beautiful part of Cirencester.