Theater Review
‘Henry V’ at Lost Nation
By John Jackson

"Henry V" is the latest of what is now a long list of successful Shakespeare productions by the Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier.

It is quite remarkable how they can undertake comedies (I’ll never forget their wonderful "Taming of the Shrew") and grand tragedies like their profound production of "Othello," with equal skill and sophistication.

With their limited resources, they work with sets that are simple but effective and with actors playing multiple roles. Indeed, one of the little games you can play is figuring out which actors are playing which roles. In this play there are some remarkable quick changes of costume and character.

It would be unfair to single out any one actor for special praise, since all are above reproach. Unlike many, many Shakespearean productions, the diction of the actors makes every word clear. This would not be so surprising if all of the actors were imported professionals, but it is equally true of the talented local actors who are always part of the company.

The bottom line is that I recommend this production to anyone with the least interest in classical theater.

I attended this play with some people who were unfamiliar with English history. In discussing the production on the way home, we talked a little bit about the historical context and they felt it added considerably to the impact of the play.

Henry V inherited the throne from his father, Henry IV, who usurped the crown from its rightful heir. His claim on the French throne was equally tenuous. One of the cuts in this production was of an early scene where Henry V tries to justify his claim with lengthy, complicated historical and religious precedents.

He finally invaded after attempts at bribery and extortion failed. He did win the Battle of Agincourt and managed to hold on to extensive property in France during his lifetime.

After he died young, leaving a child heir, England soon lost all of the French territory it had conquered, thanks partly to divine intervention in the form of Joan of Arc.

To summarize, he embarked on an unjust war on the basis of faked evidence, had initial success, but ultimately failed because the war was, in the long run, unwinnable.

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