Henry V

R.A.T.S are never shy of  doing something different and this venture into Shakespeare clearly shows their desire to be innovative and give their audience  a window into the many various aspects of  what  theatre offers.

The setting in the round was well-accomplished, with the cast playing equally to the audience on both sides. I particularly liked the interaction of the audience members as cast members and depending on what side of the hall you sat, depended on if you were French or English.

Chorus played by David Parker gave a strong performance with good comic timing when needed. King Henry played by Glyn Andrew Thomas clearly had the authority, diction and mastery of the role, a very strong performance.

Duke of Bedford – Duke of Gloucester/Mistress Nell Quickly/Constable played by Jordan Woodley and Gemma Durham respectively gave good performances with some good pieces of theatre.

Duke of Exeter played by Bob Tucker had good diction, good stance and commanded the stage, strong performance.

Archbishop of Canterbury/Jamy/Burgundy played by Tony Allan – Bishop of Ely/John Bates/Queen Isabel of France played by Carole Fletcher and Bardolph/ Sir Thomas Erpingham/Macmorris played by Alison Hawlesworth gave good performances and created a good variety of characters.

Fluellen/Alice/Monsieur Le Fer played by Melanie McLoed – Katherine/Boy/Michael Williams played by Nerys Rees delivered good pieces of theatre, I loved the French scene which brought many funny pieces to the evening. Good all round performances.

Nym/Daupin/Salisbury played by Kieron Rees gave a strong performance, the scene where an audience member was used as his horse was a joy to watch. Pistol/Charles VI/ King of France played by Simon Riordan, all of which were well accomplished, showing a versatile actor at work.

It took a while to hone in on the many strains of dialect used by the cast, which added to the modern take of this play.

Congratulations must go to the director Simon Riordan who had assembled a group of talented (and funny) actors who handled the script with ease.

Congratulation to everyone involved

 

 

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