Henry V From Shakespeare's Globe (2012/3) -
I couldn't tell if it was just this version or if the original delivery of 'Henry V' was supposed to be so wordy, but it certainly started with heavy conversation that made it a bit tough to get in to at first.
Brid Brennan as The Chorus was a real struggle to keep up with or focus on and she wasn't the only one, but she seemed to be reciting the lines rather than living them or feeling them. As the introduction to the story that made me question if I'd make it to the end.
I did like Henry V played by Jamie Parker, who was at times quite cheeky. I'd like to see him in other Shakespeare plays where he might be paired up with others to match his talents, in order to appreciate his rendering more.
His comedy bit at the end was good, but I felt that it was delivered a bit too fast.
The Herald was a bit casual with his intonations and emotion too, which was a shame because he was good otherwise. I couldn't work out which actor was playing him from the information on IMDB.
Fluellen (Brendan O'Hea) came across a bit like Rob Brydon performing a Shakespeare play in an episode of 'It A'int Half Hot Mum' (1974-81). I had to wonder how many of his lines were ad-libbed or adapted, because they seemed a bit modern at times and he seemed to be reacting to the others rather than delivering a rehearsed script.
Bardolph (Paul Rider), Pistol (Sam Cox) and so on were at times extraneous to the effect of the story. They seemed to jumble up what was going on and detract from the more serious elements. I wanted more of a focus on Henry himself, because they just irritated me.
I did actually think that a straighter version of the play, seen only from the English perspective, might have been a more enjoyable narrative too, but I supposed that it was too late to suggest that to the bard himself?
I also didn't like the fact that the actors were recycled so often. It made it difficult to know who was who and where they were meant to be based, when one from Henry's court was minutes later seen in France as someone else entirely. I've worked in theatre, I know that this is sometimes necessary and harkens back to the original Shakespearean performances at The Globe, but the changes effected between each character need to be sufficiently different to keep up the pretence that the actors are in fact a new character entirely, but that didn't feel true here at all.
After the first half I was still unsure if I would make it to the end or not and it was mostly Jamie Parker as the King that kept me interested enough to carry on and a partial interest in royal history.
The production definitely did get better in the second half, but I thought that it had ended sooner than it did, maybe I was just hopeful though, because despite the fact that it had improved, it was still a bit of a trial and a tad long to concentrate on.
I was therefore surprised by the last half an hour to wrap everything up in a neat bow and round off some of the lesser characters tales. Frankly I could have done without it, but I suppose that would be another argument to have with the writer himself.
What I really did like was the fact that it was set in its original time frame. I have seen so many "Alternative" versions of the great masters works of late, that it was refreshing to see one as it would have been when The Globe first rang with applause towards the telling of this story.
I myself appeared as Theseus in 'A Midsomer Night's Dream' which was set at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and I've still yet to actually see a version of that story set when Will intended it. I believe that there is a call for these stories to be retold correctly for the current generation, especially those that study the English language, literature, drama and culture, because these works can offer so much when they are done well. It's time for a revival of the bard on film, done with a modern appreciation of the story, without compromising its basic premise.
Overall, I could cope with this interpretation and if I come back to it again having seen another telling that engages me more, I may find that I find nuances and an enjoyment in this one that I couldn't find this time around, because I do believe that it had a potential and delivered an essence of something well done, but for me coming to Shakespeare fairly recently, I found it hard to connect with on this occasion and not knowing the story previously.
540.39/1000.
