Bell Shakespeare Will Present HENRY 5

The first production in Bell Shakespeare’s 35th anniversary season in 2025 will be a new contemporary staging of Henry 5, starring  newcomer JK Kazzi in his mainstage theatre debut. Celebrated theatre maker and former Associate Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare Marion Potts (Othello, Hamlet) returns to the company after 15 years to direct.

One of Shakespeare’s most famous history plays, Henry 5 will be presented at Sydney Opera House from 1 March – 5 April 2025, Canberra Theatre Centre from 10 – 20 April 2025 and Arts Centre Melbourne from 11 – 25 May 2025.

In Henry 5, young Prince Hal has left his wayward adolescence behind and assumed the mantle of kingship. Following an insult by the French prince, King Henry launches England into a war with France to claim the throne he believes is rightfully his and, against all odds, he leads his troops from despair to climactic victory at the Battle of Agincourt.   

Potts lends a female perspective to this story centred on young men going to war, written by a male playwright and most often the domain of male directors. The play explores themes of masculine bravery and heroism, which Potts approaches with nuance, exposing the complexities of the characters and questioning the costs of war as Henry is hailed a warrior and a hero.

Director Marion Potts said: “I’m excited to return to Bell Shakespeare - it’s always a privilege to be able to work at scale, with writing that is complex and open to exploration. Like all of Shakespeare’s writing, Henry 5 is so rich that it resonates differently for audiences at different times and under different circumstances. Our production brings Henry 5 squarely into the world we currently live in, cracking open questions about how we look at conflict and tell the story of ‘heroism’. Ultimately it will question how we navigate different truths with compassion and fairness. It’s pretty topical.

“Young men inherit such strong expectations about masculinity and their role as ‘men’. I’m fascinated by these pressures, and by the humanity at the very core of the play, where people are trying to make choices between the very best and very worst of what we’re capable of.”

At the heart of the production is the diverse young cast, with several actors making their mainstage theatre debut including JK Kazzi in the titular role, Jack Halabi (Dauphin) and Alex Kirwan (Westmoreland). They are joined onstage by Odile le Clézio (Alice), Ava Madon (Katherine), Ella Prince (Exeter), Mararo Wangai (Montjoy) and Jo Turner (King of France).

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