Shakespeare’s play is brought to life as part of the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s season, directed by Robert Hastie and starring Michelle Terry in the title role.
The Guardian: **** Michael Billington wrote: “this is an excitingly staged production in which armies clash by smoke-filled night and drums resoundingly echo from the auditorium’s towers.”
The Independent:*** David Lister wasn’t so sure about Michelle Terry’s performance saying: “But it’s a performance that is insufficiently imposing or charismatic.”
Evening Standard:*** Henry Hitchings found that: “The production has energy and an air of confident simplicity, though it’s also alert to the play’s ambiguities. It lacks a deeper emotional charge but it’s a striking statement about the precarious nature of kingship and the sheer diversity of the society over which — 600 years ago — Henry V had to reign.”
The Telegraph:**** Dominic Cavendish said: “the whole show delivers a vital wake-up jolt to us all in terms of reinvigorating the Shakespeare canon.”
WhatsOnStage: *** Holly Williams commented: “An interesting, fresh Henry V, then, rather than a heart-squeezingly moving one – but worth catching for Terry’s Harry.”
There Ought to be Clowns: “Terry makes a fascinating Hal, giving us a strikingly mature monarch from the off.”
Time Out: **** “it all comes back to Terry: whatever gender she’s playing, that ringing voice delivering some of the most stirring speeches ever written is worth the prices of admission alone.”
British Theatre Guide: “Robert Hastie has created an accessible, at times funny and others deeply serious production that is far better than merely a gimmicky opportunity for a top actress to shine in an unlikely role.”
Henry V plays at the Open Air Theatre until the 9th July. To book tickets visit: Discount Theatre.com, Love Theatre.com, Theatre People.com and UK Tickets.co.uk.