Henry V is arguably England's greatest hero. While many centuries have passed since his miraculous, victorious campaigns in France, his story and legend has only grown thanks to William Shakespeare's Henriad, and the lesser known plays Sir John Oldcastle and The Famous Victories of Henry V. Modern generations have come to know the story not only through the works of Shakespeare but through two film versions, one a patriotic homage during the dog days of World War II by Sir Laurence Olivier and the other; a more gritty but equally impressive version by Kenneth Branagh. Another, lesser-known version for the small screen, featuring a tremendous performance by Robert Hardy as part of the BBC's An Age of Kings should also be consulted.

The films have been a double-edged swords for theatre productions, as it's impossible to recreate their grandeur and majestic soundtracks, especially during Henry's rousing speeches. The version that you will see at the Blackfriars, directed by Ralph Alan Cohen, seems to be a bit more understated and bring some of the supporting characters more to the forefront than the film versions, which are dominated by Henry.

Read the rest of Adrian's review on his blog, Mid-Atlantic Traveler.

For best seats, order tickets for Henry V today.

< Back