Henry VI at the Sam Wanamaker

My friend A and I saw the Globe's trinity of Henrys - Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V. last year,so when we saw that the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse next door was ding Henry VI, it seemed like a good plan to go!

Henry VI is 3 separate plays - I've seen the plays once before, in 2013, as 3 separate plays this production is a compressed version of the 2nd and 3rd of the trilogy, so starts with  the arrival of Queen Margaret, and the news that she comes with no dowry, and at the cost of losing provinces in France won by Henry V. Things don't do well, from there...


It's a modern dress production, York appears as a wide-boy type, in a white suit embroidered with white roses, and the others has suitably colour coded and decorated clothes, too. This King himself, Jonathan Broadbent, appears in a hoodie, making him less impressive and memorable in appearance than any of his courtiers, emphasising his passive role.

Cast photo (photo from Globe theatre) 

Later in the play, once the battles started, characters wore sports kit in red or white, emblazoned with their names (and in some cases, regnal numbers) - a costuming choice which  does help to allow the audience to keep the characters and their allegiances straight, but at the same time does downplay the serious nature of the conflicts.

I particularly enjoyed Sarah Amakwah's performance as the strutting,  prickly Edward, and John Lightbody as Gloucester.

However, over all I felt the play was a bit patchy - it dragged in places and felt rushed in others - perhaps as a result of the cuts and merging of the 2 plays.

I am glad to have seen it, but don't regret my decision not to also book for RIchard III, which is part of the same season

Richard II - Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

This is the second Richard II I've seen this year, the first being at the Almeida in January.This one was at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse,  (the Globe's Jacobean theatre),  and the cast, led by Adjoa Andoh (who also co-directed) was made up entirely of women of colour.

We were sitting in the front row, right round to one side, so at the side of the stage, which was interesting, although it did mean that a lot of the time the  actors were  facing away from us.

The playhouse, before the play 

The production sets the play in a non-specific, other England - the back of the stage has been covered with bamboo, and the cast were all dressed in styles from a range of different countries and traditions, and  photos of female ancestors of the various cast members were displayed around the theatre.  Richard's crown was made of black and gold feathers, and she carried a  horsetail fly-whisk by way of a sceptre.

There were some really powerful performances - Andoh's Richard was perfectly petulant, too sure of her own god-given right to rule, and Shobna Gulati's Duke of York was a joy to watch, and listen to, as her loyalties gradually shifted.

In the current, Brexit-heavy political climate,   John of Gaunt' (Dona Crull)'s  deathbed speech hit home very hard.

Over all, an excellent and thought-provoking production, one to catch if you can. It's on until 21st April   I have to admit, I enjoyed it much more than the Almeida version (despite Simon Russell Beale,)

Edward II - Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

From an Assyrian King to an English one, and from history to drama.. 

After visiting the British Museum, I went to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, to see Kit Marlowe's  Edward II. 

It is  famous for being (probably) the earliest play in English featuring a homosexual relationship, and was first performed in 1592. It is, as you might guess from the title, a history play, about King Edward II, who reigned from 1307-1327, and (at least according to the play) was murdered by way of a red hot poker .



In this production, Edward is played by  Tom Stuart, and Gaveston by Beru Tessema.

Edward comes across as a man out of his depth, overshadowed by his late father, insecure, but  ill-advisedly stubborn, even pig-headed, when pushed..  

It is interesting that the focus of the other characters anger against Gaveston is focused less on the fact that he is the King's lover, and more upon Gaveston's  birth (he is not a member of the nobility, and the King's choices to grant him lands and titles offends them ) and the King's extravagance. Indeed, one of the nobles (Mortimer,I think) makes it explicitly clear that the King having favourites, or lovers, isn't in itself the problem.

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse stage

There are very strong performances from Edward and Gaveston,  and I enjoyed the nobles, too.Well worth seeing. Even if you do get your toes trodden on by the occasional actor!