The Globe presents Henry V @ New Theatre Cardiff

‘Touring was in Shakespeare’s blood’, director Dominic Dromgoole reminds us as he launches this new production of Henry V which starts its tour here in Cardiff. Since 2007, Shakespeare’s Globe has been sending its productions out around the country, and now, as the Olympics approaches, it is keener than ever to celebrate the great British icon around the country.

Following Dromgoole’s critically-acclaimed 2010 production of Henry IV, expectations are high. Jamie Parker, who played young and wild Prince Harry in that production, has now matured into a responsible king. RADA-trained Parker is most famous for playing Scripps in The History Boys (in the West End, on Broadway and in the film), and the shy school-boy is still present in a King Henry who is more like our modern princes than a bloodthirsty warrior. In his supposedly rousing speeches – including the famous lines ‘Once more into the breach dear friends’ and ‘We band of brothers’- he is convincing, but not burning with passion as expected. I’d like to think Parker is hinting at Henry’s reticence towards war, an aspect of the play that has been increasingly forefronted in recent years. It is not until the final scene, where Henry tries to woo the French Princess Katherine (Oliver Ross, who has perfect French pronunciation), that Parker really comes into his own. He is charmingly flustered and bashful, utterly engrossing. It’s a shame that we have to wait until the end to really connect with the character. Yet, even if the title character isn’t particularly engrossing, as a whole Henry V still has a lot to offer.

The play opens with the chorus (the charismatic Bríd Brennan) apologising for this attempt to present a great historical subject in the theatre. We are told we must use our imagination to create epic battles and sea voyages. However, the lack of sets and small (but talented) cast are counterbalanced by the variety of characters and range of emotions in the play. While the opening scenes laying out the reasons behind the Battle of Agincourt, around which the play centres, are a little dull (despite the toilet humour), there follows plenty of drama, humour, suspense and even a little romance. For a historical play, it gets a lot of laughs. As well as a generous helping of Shakespeare’s famous bawdy humour, the Welsh Captain Fluellen, who takes enormous pride in King Henry’s Monmouth origins, certainly tickled this Cardiff audience. Whether he would have the same effect elsewhere, I’m not sure, although Brendan O’Hea is clearly a talented comic actor.

Capt. Gower (Matthew Flint) and Capt. Fluellen (Brendan O'Hea).
Photo from Stephen Vaughn  at liverpool-live.info

All in all, Henry V is not the most captivating of Shakespeare’s plays, but still an enjoyable watch, especially in such a high-quality production from the Globe. Just like plays in Shakespeare’s time, this production will now head around the country before arriving in London in time for the Olympics.