Photo Credit: Lily Shea Photography
In Henry V, William Shakespeare completed his four-play history cycle with the return of the king as a matured, contemplative man. Gone are the days of Henry’s wild, undisciplined youth as played out in the first three plays.
In the current well-staged production of Henry V by Voices Found Repertory, “youth” plays front and center with a cast of young actors that fill the tiny space at Underground Collaborative with enough energy, verve, determination and overall professionalism to make The Bard’s words jump off the stage right into the audience’s laps. Shakespeare has rarely sounded and looked so accessible. The production has no set time period, giving the play a jolt of youthful exuberance with modern-looking dress, hair styles and even a bag of Cheetos (with all the physical movement in this show, actors get hungry, too).
In short; Henry heads off to lay claim to rule France as well as England, resulting in the famous Battle of Agincourt. Despite a small army with low morale, Henry prevails over the much larger French army, taking over the rule of France, as well as winning the hand of the French princess, Katherine. The two countries are now joined together by marriage.
Director Alec Lachman has assembled a fine cast of 12 actors (11 in dual roles). It’s a tightly knit ensemble in a tighter space, and Lachman makes it appear wide and expansive with little scenery but plenty of imagination. Actor Connor Blankenship doubles as the fight choreographer, and the fight scenes are well executed and intricately choreographed, making the battlefields “come alive.”
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The actors themselves impress, starting with Jake Thompson’s steadied demeanor as Henry, his youngish appearance well-suited to the role of the youthful monarch. Thomas Sebald jumps easily from the military official, Fluellen, to a funny yet realistic turn as Katherine’s assistant, Alice. The back-and-forth with Caroline Fossum’s Katherine are among the play’s very funny and lighter moments. By play’s end, Henry the king is finally settling down, and in Henry V, we see why it’s good to be the king.
Through Dec. 15 at Underground Collaborative, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave, in the lower level.
