Henry V
A rebellious young King has his eye on the throne of France and when the French Dauphin sends him a reckless insult it offers the perfect excuse for Henry V to declare war, but what cost will his pursuit of power have? How many will die for the cause? Will Henry prove himself worthy of the crown? Or will his rebellion die at Agincourt?
Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster’s movement, alongside Kate Waters’ fight direction is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing fight scenes we have seen on stage to date, combining the chaos of the battle field with the disorientation of the fight using Lucy Osborne’s set design which revolves a tower of three levels used throughout by cast members, it really is an impressive feast for the eyes.
Tamara Harvey’s direction leads the story well and is easy to follow even if you are unfamiliar with the history of the piece. Costumes (Lucy Osborne, alongside her set design) carry the plain bland colours of the mood of the battle but have a few pieces of blue and orange showing throughout to capture the hope of peace.
Alfred Enoch returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company to portray the title role of Henry V and brings the confident warrior King to life. It’s an impressive performance and a joy to watch.
Paul Hunter as Pistol puts in a versatile comedic performance and adds some much-needed humour to the piece. His scenes with Emmanuel Olusanya as Bardolph and Ewan Wardrop as Nym work particularly well and Catrin Aaron as Hostess is another strong performance that is enjoyable to watch.
Owain Gwynn’s portrayals of the Earl of Cambridge and the Duke of Orleans are wonderful; he has a great easiness to his characterisations and Tanvi Virmani as The Girl has a beautiful charm to her performance. Natalie Kimmerling as Katherine and Diany Samba-Bandza as Alice have a charming rapport and the scene where Katherine is learning English is beautifully executed by them both.
In contrast to the nature of Shakespeare’s text, this latest production by the RSC is delightfully put together and magnificent to watch. A thoroughly enjoyable performance and we highly advocate that you travel Once more to the RSC, dear friends….
This show was reviewed at The RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon on the 24th March 2026 where it runs until the 25th April 2026. Tickets available here: Henry V | Royal Shakespeare Company
Review written by Rachel Louise Martin
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Photo credit: Johan Persson
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