(no subject)
This morning ALL the theatre was announced... well a new season from Michael Grandage which looks insanely good complete with Judi Dench, Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Whishaw, Sheridan Smith, Jude Law etc. and a complete range of plays!
(I have no impulse control when it comes to theatre so obviously I've already booked all 5 plays *coughs*)
I do feel quite sorry for Jude Law though- in the Domar West End season his Hamlet was one of the best but coming so soon after David Tennant's Hamlet I don't think he got the attention he deserved (particularly because I think his Hamlet was more the classical Hamelt and Tennant's was different) and NOW he's playing Henry V a year after Jamie Parker's (quite frankly brilliant) version at the Globe AND the Tom Hiddleston version that's going to be on the BBC...
This would be a good time to review Henry V wouldn't it?
Henry V (English!) @ The Globe
So technically this was my last Globe to Globe production and WHAT a high to go out on ♥
Jamie was great as Prince Hal in the two Henry IV's but I have to admit to a slight doubt that he could really do justice to Henry V. There were hints of it and I knew he'd ben good it's just that with Tom Hiddleston's version approaching I was a little afraid I'd come out wishing it had been better.
I was ENTIRELY wrong.
I suppose it's rather apt given how many people in the plays underestimate Henry but he absolutely pulled off the transformation into a King and did so beautifully. When he was leading his men, giving those big speeches, the whole audience was enthralled and we all cried God for Harry, England and St George and during the St Cripsin's Day speech you could have heard a pin drop. We probably would have followed him anywhere.
But then at the little intimate moments... when he's betrayed at the start and the look on his face just broke my heart and then he pulled himself together, standing at the front of the stage, and again every eye was on him. Again, later, when he hears of Bardolph's death you could see every confused emotion flicker across his face. He was sad for his dead friend but he had to move past it and couldn't react and it was brilliant.
And on again after the battle when he was practically in tears with the humour of that scene going on all around him it worked perfectly because his emotions and his actions clearly showed a very human man trying to be the best king he could be.
Oh and rubbish as his seduction technique was I'd have given in MUCH more easily than Princess Catherine ♥
(I quite liked his performance- can you tell?)
But the rest of the cast were very good as well. I really liked Brid Brennan's chorus- interestingly it made me think of the "narrator" in Taming of the Shrew only here it worked for me and there it didn't. I think it was because when she wasn't actually speaking as "Chorus" she vanished into the scenes- she was a serving woman or whatever but she was just present not the centre of attention?
Sam Cox & Paul Rider are both old hands at the Globe but then that's because they're both fantastic. I love the way Paul vanishes into his Bardolph make-up and then reappears as other characters looking, sounding and standing completely differently!
Kurt Egyiawan is another returnee I think but I loved his slightly petulant Dauphin but I equally loved Olivia Ross as both Princess Katherine & the Boy- the scene where she was learning English was hilarious just as it should be ♥
Brendan O'Hea's Fluellen was BRILLIANT (though his accent matched Tristan Gravelle's so exactly I kept expecting it to be him instead- unsurprising really given they all work with the same team at the Globe)
BUT BUT BUT all the points in the world have to go to the utterly fantastic Beruce Khan who was down to play a host of smaller roles but took over for Captain Gower as that actor was unwell. If they hadn't announced it I would have NEVER guessed because he was word perfect, action perfect and also just generally perfect :-P He had a lot of scenes where he's reacting in the background (all the an Englishman, an Irishman, a Welshman & a Scottish man bits) and he was always interesting to watch but never pulling focus. I VERY much want to see him in more Globe productions *crosses fingers*.
We got a proper Globe jig at the end too- lovely and with drumming and spinning round and Groundlings having to dodge Jamie's long coat ♥
I honestly can't praise it enough- it's right up there with my all-time favourite Globe productions and it's on all summer so GO SEE IT!
(I have no impulse control when it comes to theatre so obviously I've already booked all 5 plays *coughs*)
I do feel quite sorry for Jude Law though- in the Domar West End season his Hamlet was one of the best but coming so soon after David Tennant's Hamlet I don't think he got the attention he deserved (particularly because I think his Hamlet was more the classical Hamelt and Tennant's was different) and NOW he's playing Henry V a year after Jamie Parker's (quite frankly brilliant) version at the Globe AND the Tom Hiddleston version that's going to be on the BBC...
This would be a good time to review Henry V wouldn't it?
Henry V (English!) @ The Globe
So technically this was my last Globe to Globe production and WHAT a high to go out on ♥
Jamie was great as Prince Hal in the two Henry IV's but I have to admit to a slight doubt that he could really do justice to Henry V. There were hints of it and I knew he'd ben good it's just that with Tom Hiddleston's version approaching I was a little afraid I'd come out wishing it had been better.
I was ENTIRELY wrong.
I suppose it's rather apt given how many people in the plays underestimate Henry but he absolutely pulled off the transformation into a King and did so beautifully. When he was leading his men, giving those big speeches, the whole audience was enthralled and we all cried God for Harry, England and St George and during the St Cripsin's Day speech you could have heard a pin drop. We probably would have followed him anywhere.
But then at the little intimate moments... when he's betrayed at the start and the look on his face just broke my heart and then he pulled himself together, standing at the front of the stage, and again every eye was on him. Again, later, when he hears of Bardolph's death you could see every confused emotion flicker across his face. He was sad for his dead friend but he had to move past it and couldn't react and it was brilliant.
And on again after the battle when he was practically in tears with the humour of that scene going on all around him it worked perfectly because his emotions and his actions clearly showed a very human man trying to be the best king he could be.
Oh and rubbish as his seduction technique was I'd have given in MUCH more easily than Princess Catherine ♥
(I quite liked his performance- can you tell?)
But the rest of the cast were very good as well. I really liked Brid Brennan's chorus- interestingly it made me think of the "narrator" in Taming of the Shrew only here it worked for me and there it didn't. I think it was because when she wasn't actually speaking as "Chorus" she vanished into the scenes- she was a serving woman or whatever but she was just present not the centre of attention?
Sam Cox & Paul Rider are both old hands at the Globe but then that's because they're both fantastic. I love the way Paul vanishes into his Bardolph make-up and then reappears as other characters looking, sounding and standing completely differently!
Kurt Egyiawan is another returnee I think but I loved his slightly petulant Dauphin but I equally loved Olivia Ross as both Princess Katherine & the Boy- the scene where she was learning English was hilarious just as it should be ♥
Brendan O'Hea's Fluellen was BRILLIANT (though his accent matched Tristan Gravelle's so exactly I kept expecting it to be him instead- unsurprising really given they all work with the same team at the Globe)
BUT BUT BUT all the points in the world have to go to the utterly fantastic Beruce Khan who was down to play a host of smaller roles but took over for Captain Gower as that actor was unwell. If they hadn't announced it I would have NEVER guessed because he was word perfect, action perfect and also just generally perfect :-P He had a lot of scenes where he's reacting in the background (all the an Englishman, an Irishman, a Welshman & a Scottish man bits) and he was always interesting to watch but never pulling focus. I VERY much want to see him in more Globe productions *crosses fingers*.
We got a proper Globe jig at the end too- lovely and with drumming and spinning round and Groundlings having to dodge Jamie's long coat ♥
I honestly can't praise it enough- it's right up there with my all-time favourite Globe productions and it's on all summer so GO SEE IT!