BWW Reviews: St. Louis Shakespeare Presents Uneven Production of HENRY V

Henry V may well be the only one of Shakespeare's histories where no one is trying to oust the king of England. Instead, it's all about a plan to overthrow France, and thus we encounter one of my pet peeves; the outrageous french accent. St. Louis Shakespeare has mounted a handsome and rugged production of the play, but a number of Pythonesque accents have slipped in, marring an otherwise decent presentation. The first act is all politicking, but the second act more than makes up for it, helping us to understand why this play had been a rallying point for the British troops during World War II, with it's rousing battle at Agincourt, and the wooing of Princess Katherine.

The Archbishop of Canterbury convinces Henry V to invade France, and even though he's outnumbered, he gathers his meager troops and leads them into battle. He also manages to marry Princess Katherine of France, with one of the greatest pickup lines in Shakespeare's entire canon. And, thus the two kingdoms are united in the process.

Joshua Thomas does exceptionally fine work as Henry, giving a powerful, nuanced performance that stands out among his fellow actors. Sabra Sellers also makes for a very fetching Princess katherine. Donna Northcott also does a good job acting as a chorus/narrator. However, there are only a few other brights spots amongst the cast with: Ben Ritchie, Robert Ashton, Ethan Jones, Patty Ulrich, Nick Whellehan, and Nathan Schroeder standing out in support.

Director Cameron Ulrich does generally decent work here, but there's a fine line to tread when pacing Shakespeare; too slow and it tends to drag, and too fast and you lose the poetry of the language. Ulrich errs on the side of the latter for the most part, and that coupled with the crazy quilt of accents, makes this a most uneven production. Cristie Johnson's scenic design, Alexandra Scibetta Quigley's costumes, and Natalie Smith's lighting all work in tandem to conjure up the era and the proper atmosphere.

Henry V continues through October 9, 2011 at the Grandel Theatre.

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