"Henry V" by William Shakespeare.

Nottingham Shakespeare Company.

Victoria Gardens, Nottingham.

After an insult from the French Dauphin, King Henry V of England invades France to claim the throne he believes should be his. Henry stops an assassination plot, gives powerful speeches, and wins battles against the odds. In the end, he woos and marries Princess Katherine of France, linking the two nations. Well, that's the precis version of this ninety minute historic and passionate romp through Shakespeare's eyes of what may, or may not have happened. That aside, we all know that Bill tells a good story.

Slowly I am ticking of the 36, 37, 38 or however many plays it's rumoured that William Shakespeare has written - some have even alleged that his plays number 40 + - and "Henry V" is another that I can remove from the list of plays that I have not seen.

Not only is this one a powerful slice of history, but it's also never far away from a humorous line, nuance or comment; something that the Nottingham Shakespeare Company manage to do so very well. Not only is this my first time seeing this production, but it's also Nottingham Shakespeare Company's first "history" play by the big man.

Christopher Commander takes on the titular role of King Henry V. This is Christopher's first role with the Nottingham Shakespeare Company, but quite obviously not his first foray into Shakespeare, as the impressive CV noted in the programme shows. Henry is a complex character and has to walk a fine line between being the hero and the baddie, especially with his choices of action at times. This can be put down to the King's tender years and experience to some extent; still a more mature Henry than Shakespeare wrote in "Henry IV". Chris's flow with the Bard's script is as if he is sailing over some stretch of water, riding the waves with the smoothness of a luxury cruiser. 

One of the last scenes is when he is wooing Katherine, and this scene has an almost innocent quality, especially with the language difference; Katherine, although knows pigeon English as well as Henry knows pigeon French, or is that colombe Francais? The language of love wins out though and the message is made clear and the two marry.

David Watts is the King Of France. Henry's invasion of his country upsets the King slightly but he has a certain respect for the young King Henry. The King is frustrated by his hot-headed and reckless son, the Prince Dauphin, who is impatient in the ways of leadership and far too keen to prove himself on the battlefield. David is also possibly one of the most flexible of cast members as he also plays Canterbury, Scroop, Governer of Harfleur and Monsieur Le Fer.

Jonathan Mansfield is The Dauphin - or is that "dolphin"? The King of France's heir thinks he is the bees knees and continually mocks Henry at every opportunity. He surrounds himself with "yes men", but when the going gets tough, he starts to show his true colours. Jonathan also plays Nym, an old friend of Henry's and drinking buddy. Nym provides plenty of banter, especially with Pistol, bringing more light relief to the production.

Emma Webber is the beautiful Princess Katherine. She knows in her heart that one day she will marry Henry, going as far as to learn the English language when she is young. We then see her as an older and more mature Katherine, patriotic, fun and flirty. Emma also gets to play Boy, Cambridge and Bates, so watch out for her. The two different Katherines are beautifully done with a real recognisable difference, especially in the costume department. As the more mature Katherine, she appears the very image of Audrey Hepburn, complete with dark sunglasses, black dress, hair up and an air of importance. As I said previously, in the King's wooing of Katherine, there's still that fun and flirty "cat and mouse" act with her. No wonder Henry fell for such a beauty!

Lachlan Madin plays the role of Westmoreland, he's a man who has very close connections to the King and acts almost like a mentor. His words are wise, and he doesn't waste his words needlessly either. Lachlan also plays the part of Captain Gower. he is loyal and incredibly protective of his men and colleagues; the sort you really want on your side in a battle as his fighting skills are also second to none. Lachlan is a tall and imposing actor and that transfers so well for this character.

Alastair Fiori-McPhee is the Constable Of France, a consummate politician and a high-ranking member of the French army. He likes people around him to think that he is constantly on their side but meanders between the King and The Dauphin, dangerously at times. No stranger to performing Shakespeare, and like every actor involved with the Nottingham Shakespeare Company, completely fluent in the language of the Bard, which is just one reason why I enjoy seeing this group perform. Alastair also plays another fun character is Pistol.

Esther Warren is Exeter, King Henry's uncle and right hand man. He is the potter to young Henry's clay, moulding the King into the man that he eventually becomes. Esther also gets to show a more comedic side as Alice, who gets to educate the young Katherine in the language of the English, often with great comedic effect.

Baily Carroll plays the part of Montjoy, reflecting the state of France throughout the play, slowly weakened by the English. Montjoy's bravado is all a sheen and we see a glimpse of his fear. Baily also plays Grey and MacMorris. Although Baily has not been on stage for eight years, it's obvious that their talent never leaves them, and I loved the soft Scottish accent.

Joe Chapman is Orleans, arrogant and two faced as he pretends to idolise The Dauphin to his face but ridicules him behind his back. He's in no doubt that the English will be beaten and he can return to his dramatics, but this egotistical fop is in for a bit of a surprise! Joe also plays Ely, Bardolph and Williams.

Michelle-Louise Wright plays the part of Fluellen, almost a Welsh Boadicean. She is strong and fearless but has a cracking sense of humour and has great empathy. Fluellen definitely knows what's occurin'. Just don't take the mickey about her leek, or it may not be just your words that you end up eating, Look You! Michelle is also the Director for this production, which is why this, and every production Michelle is, and has been involved in is as riveting as it is enjoyable to experience.

I touched on the costumes earlier, and especially the older Katherine, but every costume tells a story of the character of the play. The Dauphin's showy outfit, the soldiers' garb, the brilliant camouflaged Fluellen, the regality of the French King and the long red worn trench coat style of outfit for Henry, all speak to you about the person wearing them.

In "Henry V" you'll recognise the "Once More Unto The Breach, Dear Friend" speech, but I also added another Shakespeare original to the list of common phrases used today; that of empty vessels making most noise. something I certainly didn't realise was a Shakespearian piece of script. That is what I love so much about Shakespeare, and I am in no way an expert in this field, there's always something to learn from William Shakespeare.

This play in particular is so relevant right now because of the situation in the UK, politically and the civil unrest, making Shakespeare still such an important writer and observer of humankind. Why couldn't history lessons at school be as enthralling as this production. If they were, maybe Shakespeare in education would be made more interesting for pupils. Or maybe schools should just come and see the Nottingham Shakespeare Company.

Nottingham Shakespeare Company are touring around the area until 17 August and the performances are all FREE, so there's absolutely no reason for you not to sample the incredible talents of this company. So whether you're a Shakespeare fanatic or if you wondered what all the fuss about the Bard is and want to taste his wares, well, this is just for you. If you love Shaky, you'll love this production, and if you don't feel the Bard, you've lost nothing, but gained some experience.

"Henry V" is at various venues in and around Nottingham, Derby and Leicester until 17 August so take a peek at their flyer (see below) or go to their Facebook or web pages for more information. All evening performances start at 7pm and matinees at 2pm. With the majority of these performances being outdoors, you may also like to bring a fold up chair for comfort, and just in case, carry an umbrella - well you never can tell can you?

Also, on Friday 16 August, the venue is The Castle Rock Brewery yard, and as an added bonus you may also like to partake of a pint of especially brewed Shakes Beer!

Photography by Derek McAllister Photography.