By Ernest Kearney — Henry V has long been considered one of Shakespeare’s problem plays; called a “stirring piece of drum-beating and flag-waving” by one critic. But Henry V offers more buried ore to be mined than nearly any other work of the Bard.
Fabiana Formica – the Dauphin
I wouldn’t say that the Pretend Theatre has successfully quarried that ore, but what they have done, has been to stage a very strong, and craftsman-like, production of Shakespeare’s 1599 play — recounting Henry V’s contribution to the Hundred Year War (1337-1453). This has been accomplished with a cast of eleven at the Thymele Arts: Common Room; a well-suited space for the company’s quasi-immersive approach to the piece.
Carrie Adams is Princess Katherine
There are problems with the piece. Why were the Dauphin of France (Fabiana Formica), Princess Katherine (Carrie Adams) and her maid servant Alice (Jerilyn Gashi) the only French characters with accents?
And what happened to the Chorus’ final speech in which the audience is informed that in spite of the happy ending that ends the play Henry is dead in six months and France and England have another 31 years of bloodletting to look forward to?
Jerilyn Gash is Alice
There are some solid performances here, but what is lacking is a forceful intrusion of imagination into the playing.
The venue is cavernous, and any ambient sound would have had a powerful resonance. If recordings were shunned for reasons of maintaining Elizabethan purity then cast-generated sonance would have filled the void; the winds of the night, the sounds of an encampment, foot stomping for marching troops, hammers on garbage lids for sword against steel.
John Eddings is Westmoreland
Also, the marvelous venue was under used; tables being tipped over for the trenches of soldiers, chairs placed across the playing area to serve as the walls of Harfleur.
The Chorus implores the audience to allay the play’s inadequacies and “Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts.” Well, that pronouncement extends to the players as well.
That said, this is still a solid staging with some wonderful talent involved.
Adams and Gashi, while less effective in the first of their double casting duties, rise to the demands of the roles of Katherine and Alice. Formica is excellent as the prissy Dauphin, and John Eddings is superb as the gruff Westmoreland.
Chris Chapman is Henry
As a remnant from Henry IV parts I & II Brian Caelleigh is topnotch as Pistol, and Mike Claman is impressive as the book-schooled Welsh warrior Fluellen.
But it is Chris Chapman’s intelligent and sure-handed performance as Henry that renders null and void all other flaws of this mounting and brings the 
production a GOLD MEDAL.
♦ ♦ ♦
Henry V
is playing during
at
5481 Santa Monica Blvd.
(For Show Information and Tickets Go To: http://hff18.org/5061 )
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