78. Henry VI part I - Rose Bankside

In many ways I find the histories, as they currently stand for me personally, a difficulty. I haven’t seen them all; I’m still missing Henry V and Henry IVs part 2 and 3. I don’t even know what happens in some of them and I certainly don’t understand their nuances or the way they affect each other, the way they bleed into and inform their various parts. So I always feel, except with superb productions like the Tobacco Factory’s Richard II or the Globes Henry IVs, like I’m slightly adrift in judging them. That I just don’t know enough to “get them”. That was definitely the case with Henry VI part 1 where I felt for long stretches like I was floundering, unsurprising I suppose as I neither know the plays that precede it or the plays that follow it.


In some ways though, the production itself didn’t aid matters. The use of a much vaster space than normal at the Rose, as the cast spread out among the archaeological remains**, was very impressive – especially for the beautifully lit opening and later for Joan’s execution (alone amidst the water, engulfed in light and smoke and reflected in the murky surface); but it had the less pleasing effect of meaning that several scenes were shouted across a great distance. Meaning that I both struggled to hear and was robbed of the opportunity to lip read or engage with the actors expressions. It also, quite possibly, gave me far too much space to distract myself as I am wont to do.

I think it’s not coincidental that the scenes I both enjoyed most and remember most vividly are the ones that took place on the small platform. Which made my experience of the play a little disjointed and confusing. It did also, however, make the moment when swords were finally drawn upon the platform feel suddenly, quite magically, very real and very scary. So I would struggle to say the approach was completely successful or completely a failure.

My other issue with the production was that I couldn’t quite get past how much I hated Joan, I’m not sure this whether was a consequence of the character itself or just a difficulty with the over-the-top stylised performance of Suzanne Marie. It made me squirm uncomfortably every time she was on stage and meant that although I was drawn into the political/familial scenes in England; as soon as she appeared I was thrown out of the play again. The rest of the cast were fairly good, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment with the Talbots and thought that Ben Higgins was excellent. And I also greatly enjoyed Oliver Lavery as the Duke of Gloucester and hope to see more of him in the future, with or without his awesome moustache.

Overall though I wouldn’t say this was a success for me, though it may have worked better for others – especially those more familiar with the History plays.

 

* I must admit that the archaeologist in me was wincing occasionally as I watched them swinging their swords wildly, though I’m sure there wasn’t really any danger – I was just scarred by that one time when a cameraman jumped on our skeleton (bloody Discovery Channel).