Blood, guts and rhyming couplets

Last night I went to see Henry VI part III at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford. The Courtyard opened in July and is an intimate yet deceptively spacious venue with something that the main theatre lacked – comfy seats. Not that my attention wavered for very long during the performance. It was riveting. The visual imagery and direction (particularly of the fight scenes) were stark and arresting, with the audience able to follow the relatively complicated and fast–moving plot.

Jonathan Slinger's portrayal of Richard III to be provided some comic moments, with nuances of the 'Suits you sir' Fast Show sketches. Despite the laughs however, in a story full of vengeance and violence with trails of blood swept around the stage, it was his character that brooded with the most menace.

: 06 Aug 2006 21:07 |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem