Review: Henry V (Brett Brown)

King made of paper

People have tendency to personificate stuff. For example, paper figures that are cut out of paper can be soldiers. Red paint on body can be war scars and a baloon can be a head. And what would happen if in this forest of meanings we will focuse on one character? On this one that is the master in this world full of perfonifictate things? Say hello to Henry V.

How would you react when I tell you, that you should treat seriously a man with a paper crown on his head, a man who in a war amok is walking throught the camp and talking to himself? Maybe you will laught at me, and think what strange things am I asking. But painted picture is a view on Brett Brown performance. Director, Philip Parr, decided to put Henry V in one specific moment – before the Azincourt battle, where future king is giving a performance of his consciousness during moonlight walk throught the camp.

But as you may notice, something here is unusual, something that don't fit to the Shakespeare pathos. Paper crown, paper soldiers, paper scepter? Maybe everything here is just a projection of Browns imagination. Because at the beginning, while lying on the bed, he is reading Henry V, and he seems to be moved by the tekst. It was like he absorbed and escalate into Henry before our eyes. We can ask then what we see on stage?

Of course, for those who want to know the content of one of the historical works of Shakespeare, Browns monologue is a pure synthesis of drama. In addition, the actor in a very emotional way plucked from the text all the intrigue, plot twists and all cruel envelope which happens in war reality. You can see, like his whole body is affected by the plot.

However, you can go one step further and treat Brown as a madman who thinks he is Henry V. His energetic movements, rapid mood changes, all this can be read as a desire for one of the soldiers stationed in the camp. The desire to live through this Shakespearean story - to be like Henry V. Then, we have a man trapped in a small room, which with the help of paper, creates his own microcosms, creates its non-existent kingdom. Because Henry V "took" control over the wretch, the same cruelty of war must be lived many times.

No matter which interpretation will speak to us during the show, the story of Henry V is memorable.
Not only for the sake of poignant history, but primarily because of the phenomenal performance of Brown. Finally, we can ask the question whether such a paper king can moving? In the embodiment of Brett Brown's for sure.