Spectacular battle scenes in Summer Shakespeare
victoria-university-of-wellington
Tue Feb 03 2009 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Spectacular battle scenes in Summer Shakespeare
Tuesday, 3 February 2009, 12:09 pm
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington
Summer Shakespeare 2009 presents the Victoria University of Wellington Season of Henry V
Spectacular battle scenes in biggest Summer Shakespeare yet
Expect battle scenes the scale of which are rarely seen on stage when Summer Shakespeare returns in 2009 with the Bard’s most exciting play, Henry V.
The historic themes of war and nationalism will be given modern relevance as director David Lawrence sets the play very close to home: right here, right now.
Henry V tells the story of a newly crowned king waging war on an ‘enemy’ to promote nationalism in his country.
Mr Lawrence says the play will strike a familiar chord with today’s audience. “In our times of soaring oil prices and crunching credit, this play is a timely reminder that history does indeed repeat.”
Summer Shakespeare itself has a long history in Wellington. In this, its 26th year, it returns to the heart of Victoria University – the Studio 77 Amphitheatre. Mr Lawrence says the venue will provide audiences the perfect ‘cockpit’ from which to view the battle scenes that make this play thrilling.
“The production will transform the Amphitheatre and its surrounds into a battleground for over 30 actors, making this the biggest Shakespeare production to be seen in Wellington,” he says.
“Battle scenes of this scale are a thrilling prospect for both audiences and actors alike, and with internationally acclaimed fight choreographer Allan Henry (Footballistic, A Renaissance Man) at the helm, these battles promise to be not only epic but also spectacular.”
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David Lawrence is one of New Zealand’s most well-known directors of Shakespeare, with 12 productions under his belt (most recently King Lear which received critical acclaim in Wellington and Dunedin).
Mr Lawrence’s long-time collaborator, Alex Greig (Revenge of the Amazons, A Renaissance Man), plays the title role of Henry, King of England. Allan Henry also stars in the play as the Constable, the leader of the French army. “The fight between these talented physical performers promises to be one of the highlights of the show,” Mr Lawrence says.
These hardened soldiers are joined by newcomer Alison Walls (recently returned from studying theatre in New York) who takes the dual role of the Chorus and the French Princess Catherine, giving a female slant on a very male story.
The 2009 Victoria University of Wellington Season of Henry V launches the year-long Compleate Workes Festival, a nation-wide event during which all of Shakespeare’s plays will be performed.
The first Summer Shakespeare was held in 1982 when A Midsummer Night’s Dream took over Victoria University’s Quad. Since then, the Summer Shakespeares have become known for their energetic, large-cast productions and their festive approach to the plays. They have been performed outside in the Quad, Wellington Civic Square, the Amphitheatre in Te Papa, Boyd Wilson Field, the Amphitheatre at 77 Fairlie Terrace and in the Dell at the Wellington Botanical Gardens to large and appreciative audiences.
This historic production is not to be missed!
Season: 13-28 February ’09 – Amphitheatre, 77 Fairlie Tce, Wellington
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