World war one commemoration - Henry V
Oct. 11th, 2018 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
charlie_cochraneNow, before anyone points out that I'm only 500 years too early with Agincourt as opposed to the Great War, I'll say that I'm aware of the fact. Although geographically we're in a similar region. I only found out when I read Juliet Barker's excellent book about Henry's campaign in France that Crecy and Agincourt are both within the general area of the Somme so three significant conflicts have happened there.
As mentioned yesterday, we went to see Antic Disposition's 'play within a play' version of Henry V, the basic set up of which is a group of injured English and French soldiers at a field hospital taking part in a production of the Shakespeare play in order to raise spirits. It was a stunning production all round, with much to think about.
It was easy to forget that the play was within a play, so fittingly to the 1915 costumes and sets did some of the verse and scenes come across. Pistol and crew arsing about, the 'little touch of Harry in the night' scene and the great 'Once more into the breach' and 'St Crispin's day' speeches worked perfectly. But the really clever bit was the way that the war outside never went away. When Bardolph is to be executed for looting, the soldier playing him has an attack of shell shock brought on by the situation he's acting. Distant gunfire and shells bursting bring the final scene to an end. And all the production - start, end and middle - was interwoven with music, using the poems of AE Housman. Such a contrast of these sad lyrics and the stirring words used by King Harry.
The Antic Disposition tour has only just started. If you get the chance to see this play, grab it with both hands!
As mentioned yesterday, we went to see Antic Disposition's 'play within a play' version of Henry V, the basic set up of which is a group of injured English and French soldiers at a field hospital taking part in a production of the Shakespeare play in order to raise spirits. It was a stunning production all round, with much to think about.
It was easy to forget that the play was within a play, so fittingly to the 1915 costumes and sets did some of the verse and scenes come across. Pistol and crew arsing about, the 'little touch of Harry in the night' scene and the great 'Once more into the breach' and 'St Crispin's day' speeches worked perfectly. But the really clever bit was the way that the war outside never went away. When Bardolph is to be executed for looting, the soldier playing him has an attack of shell shock brought on by the situation he's acting. Distant gunfire and shells bursting bring the final scene to an end. And all the production - start, end and middle - was interwoven with music, using the poems of AE Housman. Such a contrast of these sad lyrics and the stirring words used by King Harry.
The Antic Disposition tour has only just started. If you get the chance to see this play, grab it with both hands!
