Henry V – Bell Shakespeare
This classic Shakespearian text takes a new form in a bunker during the London Blitz.
Overview
Battles will be had, blood will be shed, and brothers will unite on stage in this Bell Shakespeare production of Henry V, but not quite as you remember it from high school lit.
Shakespeare's tale tells the story of King Henry V who, having ascended the throne following the death of his father, promptly — after a few people tell him he should probs do something else — declares war on France. More or less, it's about Henry trying to rally his troops to fight their bestest while simultaneously avoiding assassination, and getting a French wife (because nothing says romance quite like declaring war on your crush's country).
In this production, director Damien Ryan is bringing the story to life with a contemporary take, inspired by a true story. During the London Blitz in 1941, a group of young men, bored and stuck in a bunker, started a club, where they would rehearse and perform plays to others in the shelter.
"With England on the precipice and Churchill comparing the fighter pilots to the 'happy few' at Agincourt, it is hard to imagine that a Henry V would not have struck their hearts," said Ryan. With this in mind, he has re-imagined one of Shakespeare's more politically charged plays in this context. An exploration of violence, manhood and assumed power from the heart of a gloomy British bunker.
