There is talk of horses. An actor points towards the back of the hall. All the children crane their necks to see the horses. They only exist in our imaginations, but it feels as if we all really do see them.
It’s one of several lovely moments in this simple, pared-down touring show, filleted from Henry V and both parts of Henry IV, and staged as part of the RSC’s First Encounters education programme, which introduces children to Shakespeare.
At Clifton primary, they’ve been working with the RSC over a period of time. The children have made all the props required during the performance – the gold crown that Hal removes from his father’s bedside, the map of France, a treasure chest and disguises. Audiences at other venues and theatres may not have quite the investment that these children have in the show, but there are plenty of engaging touches: rousing drinking songs and a chance for everyone to be an archer at Agincourt. Owen Horsley’s production cleverly incorporates these more interactive elements with watching quietly in a production that only uses Shakespeare’s own words.
There’s never any shirking of the emotional trajectory in this tale of a boy who must face up to his responsibilities and mature from jape-loving youngster to warrior king. The cast are all involved in the RSC’s main stage histories, and deliver the story with energy and clarity, some diabolical French accents and a cross-dressing Mistress Quickly, played with glee by Daniel Abbott. Simon Yadoo doubles Falstaff and Henry IV to good effect, suggesting two quite different and equally flawed ideas of fatherhood. Leigh Quinn is a vivacious French princess, and Martin Bassindale is a fine young Henry V, who finds that, when parental and national expectations weigh heavy as the crown itself, victory can mean many different things.
- At St Mary’s college, Hull, 16, 17 June. Box office: 0844 800 1110. Then touring until 16 July.
