English Kings Killing Foreigners

Nina and Philip are two actors cast in a highly anticipated production of Henry V. These two ‘outsiders’ bond over their scepticism of the Shakespearean institution and its role in the national identity and narrative of England.

But discord is just around the corner. Following the death of the “National treasure” star of their show—naturally a white, English actor reviving his performance of Henry V for the fifth time—Nina and Philip find their relationship shifting. Nina is thrust into the title role, a move which inevitably impacts on the dynamic; causing increasing conflict and tension between the two.

The audience to both the play and the play-within-the-play watch Nina and Phil rehearse and perform sections of the play while being pushed to personal and professional extremes. Brutality bubbles under the surface before boiling over with results that will long reverberate, just as King Henry is taking to the battlefield at Agincourt.