Archive for August, 2008

Backstage at Henry V

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

In the early hours of Saturday morning I will be heading down to Cornwall to perform in Henry V at the Minack Theatre.  I’m really looking forward to it and weather permitting it will be fantastic.  I’ll blog about it when I get back, but in the meantime click on the image to see backstage photos from the shows at Derby Grammar School.

Fluellen - Angry about leeks or something

Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company frequently hire costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company.  More often than not there are labels inside and you can find out the production, actor and role the costume was used for previously.  I was particularly excited to find out that my Montjoy costume belonged to Jonathan Slinger’s Richard II in the RSC’s recent histories cycle.  If you click the link it’s the one he’s wearing in the photo, minus the jerkin.

If that wasn’t impressive enough our Fluellen Mat’s suit of armour belonged to Brian Blessed in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Tickets for Henry V are available from the Minack Theatre website.

Update: Henry V has been and gone, I hope you enjoyed the show.

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The Pleasant Prints

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Despite his best attempt to disguise it as a weather report, Andy Potter has given Henry V a lovely review in the Derby Evening Telegraph:

Shakespeare in the open air and a British summer - the recipe for a fine and relaxing night out. The British weather does its best to compound that idea, ensuring that in the lead-up to this latest production by the Derby Shakespeare Theatre company of Henry V, everyone was watching the skies, hoping that the battlefields of France wouldn’t become a sodden quagmire.

As it happened, we happy few, armed with umbrellas and warming refreshments, witnessed yet another excellent telling of the Bard’s work.

Chris Scott has to carry the full weight of this production on his shoulders as the King intending to fight for the lands of France. He has to be astute, grand, personable and a man whom we believe people would fight for.

Scott pulls this off with ease, cutting a swathe through the performance area at Derby Grammer School. So immersed is he in the character he also sports a rather serious haircut to add to the illusion.

Under long-term Derby Shakespeare member Ian Arnot’s direction, the introduction of the warring sides is handled with simple isolation. Scott aside, Helena Franklin as Princess Katherine enchants with her learning of English, and is coyly believable in the protracted finale.

The production is punctuated with fine performances, Matthew Shepherd, Joe O’Brien, Michael Gaunt, Eddy Chambers and Jack Bamford are just some of the people who provide them and when this production heads to the Minack Theatre in Cornwall at the end of the month it will be a fine advertisement for the talent we have in Derby.

Cry God for Harry! England and St George and look forward to another hundred years of Shakespeare in the City, with the sun shining and not an umbrella in sight!

(Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

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A Little Touch of Harry

Monday, August 11th, 2008

Henry at the gates of Harfleur as Exeter looks on.

Harry rallys his troops before Harfleur as Exeter looks on.

I took some photos of Henry V rehearsals yesterday afternoon; click the image to check them out. As you can see, rehearsals have moved to the actual performance space at the grammar school and I’m beginning to get used to the size difference between Shakespeare House and the comparative larger school field. Watching offstage I get a sense that the show is really starting to galvanise.

Onstage our entrances and exits are quite tricky because, being an outdoor production, the wings can be observed from the audience. I can be seen before I make my entrance, so it’s a balancing act because I need to appear in character should the audience look over and yet not be too busy that I pose a distraction to the audience or indeed miss my cues. Another issue is hearing cue lines, yesterday was particularly windy and at times it was a struggle for me to hear cue lines to make my entrances. Barring these difficulties it can be particularly exhilarating to perform an elaborate entrance and time it in such a way that my lines are delivered perfectly on cue. Brilliant!

For more information about Henry V and booking tickets visit the Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company website.

Update: Henry V has been and gone, I hope you enjoyed the show.

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Once More Unto The Breeches

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

I had a terrific time at Henry V rehearsals last night. Andy our soundman made his first appearance and this meant much topping and tailing of scenes in order that he could work out the cues for sound effects. I spent most of my time standing around chatting or gabbling my lines when required in order to save time. It’s amazing how the rhythm of Shakespeare’s verse can allow you to deliver your lines at pace and how trickier it is to accomplish the same with prose. When speaking prose you have to stick to the cadences in order to maintain speed whereas with verse speaking once you lock into the iambic rhythm you can just whizz along.

Despite being in several of Shakespeare’s plays Henry V is the first I have done in traditional costume and it was the arrival of the costumes from Stratford that really made the rehearsal for me. AMAZING! I’ve been in a few productions, all with terrific outfits, but these are in a different league. Hanging banner-like from the greenroom walls were polythene bags containing the type of military wear that you would have expected to see running around the fields of Agincourt 600 years ago. The room was a melee of brigandines and tabards displaying the Lancastrian coat of arms, barbute helmets, plate armor, gauntlets, hauberks of chainmail and chausses for the legs. Apparently there is more coming from London. It’s all very exciting.

For more information about Henry V and booking tickets visit the Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company website.

Update: Henry V has been and gone, I hope you enjoyed the show.

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