The play, to be staged at the Globe’s indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, invites audiences to “witness Henry’s bombastic pursuit of power, questioning what it really means to be English.” While directing and set details have yet to be announced, Race Roughan has promised a “very dark” version of Henry V, and Globe artistic director Michelle Terry said the production explores whether the king was an imperialist attacking France He said: “Shakespeare leans into the complex reality of humanity – none of us are simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – the moment you think Henry is one thing Shakespeare will complicate and refuse a simplistic narrative. “Exploring and questioning whether Henry is aggressive goes to the heart of the play – you don’t ask the question ‘can I in good conscience make that claim?’ if you already think the answer is yes.” He added that the work was a “400-year-old presence asking us about war, peace, power and ambition”, which became relevant again after the invasion of Ukraine. Professor Farah Karim-Cooper, the Globe’s director of education and research, said using theater to comment on contemporary politics was something the Bard himself did, saying: “Shakespearean scholarship has recognized for decades that Shakespeare used his stories to criticize the politics of his day’. A statement from the Globe explained the play’s relevance, saying: “Shakespeare’s plays are filled with so many universal ideas that they remain fascinatingly relevant to modern society hundreds of years later. However, occasionally one of his works speaks to the present moment so directly, it takes your breath away. “Directing Henry V against the backdrop of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Brexit and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine feels like one of those moments. This work overflows with themes of royal succession, nationalism and war, which spans the ages and offers us the opportunity to reflect on our present moment in a powerful way.” The game runs from November 10, 2022 to February 4, 2023.
