Henry V at Norwich Theatre Royal

I was back in my seat at Norwich Theatre Royal on the evening of Saturday 12th May 2012 for Propeller's performance of William Shakespeare's Henry V. With Dugald Bruce-Lockhart as King Henry V and Nicholas Asbury as Montjoy this was another high quality production to thrill the Norwich audience.

Henry V is one of the greatest tales in English folklore about a British warrior. It is set in a time when nationalism is at its most dangerous and exciting. As increasing numbers of British servicemen and women are seeing active service, Propeller brings its own unique take on one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. Thrilling and deeply moving, Henry V marks the beginning of a journey that takes us from the corridors of Westminster to the fields of France in an evening of unforgettable power.

From  performances of the Clash's London Calling and Manhattan Transfer’s Chanson d’Amour to the transformation of Henry V into the heroic warrior-king who won the battle of Agincourt Propeller brought us the magic of Shakespeare in a fun and different way. Saturday was a wonderful day as Propeller gave us a brilliant taste of two of Shakespeare's best known plays.  

The Winter's Tale at Norwich Theatre Royal

On Saturday 12th May 2012 I attended both Propeller's William Shakespeare productions at Norwich Theatre Royal starting with the matinee performance of The Winter's Tale, while in the evening I witnessed their performance of Henry V. Propeller is an all male Shakespeare company who mix a rigorous approach to the text with a modern physical aesthetic.

The Winter’s Tale is a tragic fairytale which tells the mysterious and extraordinary story of a man consumed by an inexplicable jealousy that destroys his family, his kingdom and himself. Wracked by guilt, Leontes sets off a chain reaction of events that leads to a miraculous climax and the chance of redemption. This is a re-visiting of Propeller’s highly acclaimed 2005 production.

This performance was full of wonderful acting including Robert Hands as Leontes and Tony Bell as Autolycus. We were given a band called The Bleatles and Beyonce's Single Ladies in a fun filled afternoon with the audience laughing out loud on many occasions.  This was a great afternoon spent at Norwich Theatre Royal and I still had Henry V to look forward to in the evening.