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The RSC's Henry V - A ReviewDateline: 26th November, 2000 Our King went forth to Normandie It's very easy to see Henry V in the same terms as The Agincourt Carol: a jingoistic, tub-thumpingly patriotic celebration of English power, as exemplified by the charismatic King Henry V. The English are all good and the French all bad, and we won in the end, even though greatly outnumbered. In fact, that's the usual interpretation. I remember in the fifties listening to Family Favourites and Forces Favourites on the radio (The Light Programme: remember that?), and every few weeks someone would request the Olivier rendering of the speech before Agincourt. Even those who'd never seen a Shakespeare play in their lives knew it, because it was patriotic, a celebration of England. But doesn't it sit a bit uneasily nowadays, when we've seen at close quarters the horrors that rampant nationalism can bring? Is Henry V a play for its own time, not for ours? And if we do do it nowadays, wouldn't it be impossible to give it a contemporary setting? You would have thought so, but the RSC's Edward Hall has managed it. His English soldiers wear modern battledress and carry guns as well as swords (strange how that somehow doesn't seem incongruous!). The French dress like riot police - so many references to their armour, I suppose, makes that inevitable - and the setting, as one audience member remarked, is very reminiscent of a Victorian factory. We hear helicopters and heavy guns, and there are explosions and flashes throughout the battle scenes. But there have been subtle changes of emphasis. The scene between Canterbury and Ely and the former's exposition of the "Salic Law" have become much more scary than in any other production I have seen, with the suggestion that the Church's support for Henry's claim on the throne of France is based purely on self-interest. It's there in the text, of course, but it's something that is often skated over or skirted round. Here it's right in the forefront. Another subtle change of emphasis: Nym becomes a Geordie and wears a Newcastle United shirt. Very minor, you may think, but suddenly there are contemporary resonances of thuggery and football hooliganism. Director Hall has built on that by opening up the scene in the Eastcheap tavern to include soldiers hanging around and a very punk-like band of skinheads singing Cheer up me lads, 'tis to glory we steer. The combination of the skinhead singers and the raucous Eng-er-land chorus changes a popular patriotic song into a soccer hooligans' anthem. Nor are the French made to look silly in their self-confidence and pride in their equipment and prowess. Yes, the Dauphin is over the top in his praise of his horse, but the fact that the others send him up quite openly and laugh about it makes it the banter of soldiers who are hyped up before the battle, rather than silliness. And the King of France is not vacillating and weak, but rather a strong and intelligent man who is doing to his best to rescue his kingdom from a dreadful situation. Part Two Articles Indices:
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