And to hell with all the other poor buggers” he suffers through a brutal recollection of the before during and aftermath of the battles that took place at Harfleur and Agincourt in 1415 he obliterates the familiar and heroic image of Henry V who – as the story goes – courageously rallied his troops to fame and glory This stage show is from theatre company The Crooked Billets which was formed in 2024 by actors Gareth David-Lloyd Felix Uff and BAFTA nominated director Paul Olding The company’s first production was a short showcase run of ‘After Agincourt’ and ‘Before Nell’ as a double bill at The Tabard in West London which received an overwhelmingly positive response Using Shakespeare’s Henry V as a framework the play deftly explores themes of class PTSD and the real human cost of war and achieves a highly emotional and captivating drama Underscoring the narrative is Peter Mottley’s meticulous historical research which serves to sharpen the details of the time period and lay bare the grim realities of war Venue: Rotunda: Bubble, Regency Square, Brighton. Babes in Arms policy: Under 2’s are not allowed at this event Tickets: £10 per performance. (241 on Tues 13th May through Brighton Fringe website) and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed Brighton and Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom believes that he can help Hearts “disrupt Scottish football” having worked with the.. Brighton and Hove Albion 4 Arsenal 2 Brighton and Hove Albion left Arsenal shell-shocked once again as they ran out.. Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Newcastle United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion looked to be on course for a 1-0.. Brighton and Hove Albion face Newcastle United at the Amex this afternoon with Jan Paul van Hecke back in the.. the courtiers listen and nod as the specious case for war is made In “Henry V” it is the Archbishop of Canterbury who outlines the English claim to the throne of France that is the pretext for invasion modern-dress production of Shakespeare’s play at the Donmar Warehouse in London the flaky legal arguments and skewed history are presented in a slide-show like the findings of a cooked-up intelligence dossier This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The action of the tiger” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Her wit and style, brought to life by these directors, make for a most enjoyable evening in Ryan Coogler’s hit film is a riff on the uses and abuses of genre Two books trace the extraordinary rise and rapid fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin Robert Macfarlane and James Scott seek to understand the ways of water The greatest civilisations of the past 3,000 years were the opposite of MAGA Medievalists.net A letter from the year 1415 detailing events during the Hundred Years’ War just before the Battle of Agincourt is going on the market for $75,000 and describes the actions of the men and their compensation from the French king for their defense of the port city Harfleur the city was besieged by the English under King Henry V keeper of the seal of the Viscount of Rouen bids you greetings Let it be known that before Robert le Vigneron who acknowledges receiving from Robert the Marquis receiver at Rouen from the amount bestowed for the war the sum of 20 livres… Salary and in compensation for many great efforts he has made As he has entered into great bodily danger and peril having gotten out and having brought to Mr Marshal Boursicoult in Rouen and from there to Vernon to Mr treating with the situation of those inside the said town and the provision that was necessary for their aid… and done so with great difficulty… Less than a week later Harfleur would surrender and Gaucourt was one of the men taken prisoner – he ultimately would be held in captivity in England for ten years King Henry and the English army would move on deeper into France where they would win the Battle of Agincourt the following month The letter is being sold by the Raab Collection. It was previously owned by the same family since the first half of the 20th century. It can be bought for $75,000 US. Please visit the Raab website for more details We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast and remove the advertising on our platforms This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce Member Login In his 16th year as a resident company member at the American Repertory Theater Remo Airaldi has performed in over sixty A.R.T Previous roles include Casca in Julius Caesar The Master of Ceremonies in The Onion Cellar The Valet in No Exit (in Cambridge and on tour at Hartford Stage and Montclair Performing Arts Center) Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream Prince of Aragon in The Merchant of Venice Father Donnally/Doctor in The Marriage of Bette and Boo Mistress Quickly/Governor of Harfleur/Le Fer in Henry V Airaldi has also taught acting at Harvard University People can now recycle their old inhalers at south east London pharmacies as part of a first-of-its-kind NHS scheme Twenty pharmacies have signed up for a six-month pilot scheme aiming to reduce greenhouse gases emitted when inhalers are poorly disposed Donated inhalers will be sent to specialist facilities to recover and repurpose a substantial portion of the harmful gases.  organised by the South East London Integrated Care System is the only nationally-funded inhaler recycling pilot in England Pharmacist at King’s College Hospital who was nominated for the HSJ Towards Net Zero Award 2023 and submitted the initial project bid said: “Medicines make up 25 per cent of the NHS carbon footprint and we need to take decisive action to ensure we minimise our environmental impact; returning your inhaler to your local pharmacy or hospital can play a huge part in this.  “We can reach Net Zero by 2050 with these important actions and we need your help to do it recycle your inhalers and help us create a greener NHS.” There is a map of participating pharmacies and a full list here: London SE1 4TWLing’s Chemist Barn Twist Ltd: 269 Old Kent Rd London SE1 5LUBonamy Pharmacy: 355 Rotherhithe New Rd London SE16 3HFDuncans Pharmacy: 193-195 Greenwich High Rd London SE10 8JAP E Logan Pharmacy: 209 Trafalgar Rd London SE10 9EQWoolwich Late Night Pharmacy- Travel/Yellow Fever and Phlebotomy Clinic: Lower London SE18 6ABFirst Care Pharmacy: Thames Reach London SE28 0NYKing’s College Hospital: Denmark Hill London SE5 9RSKristal Pharmacy and Travel Clinic: 127-129 Evelina Rd London SE15 3HBWoodlands Pharmacy: 4 Edwin Hall Pl London SE13 6RNBellegrove Pharmacy: 225 Bellegrove Rd Welling DA16 3RQVantage Pharmacy: 108 Conisborough Cres London SE6 2SPRoadnight Pharmacy: 88 Station Rd Sidcup DA15 9ERCopes Pharmacy: 570-572 Streatham High Rd London SW16 3QQSefgrove Chemist Travel Clinic and Yellow Fever Centre: Westow Hill London SE19 1TQPaydens Beckenham: 399-401 Croydon Rd Beckenham BR3 3PRPrincess Royal University Hospital: Farnborough Common Orpington BR6 8NDEldred Drive Pharmacy: 25 Eldred Dr Orpington BR5 4PECray Hill: 88 Cotmandene Cres We'll never send you spam or share your email address Find out more in our Privacy Policy. Boots has been running an inhaler recycling scheme for years! Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Location: Normandy, FranceOperator: TotalEnergies (100%)Facilities: Refining and Petrochemicals Platform Each year, our Normandy platform in northwestern France, comprised of a refinery and a petrochemical plant, converts 12 million metric tons of crude oil into some 200 products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, lubricating oils and plastic pellets. Between 2000 and 2010, €1 billion has been invested to make the facility more energy efficient and align its production with changing demand. The Normandy platform is now one of our biggest refining & petrochemical platforms in the world. Our successive investments in the Normandy platform, which is at the forefront of our industrial operations in France, enabled to enhance efficiency at the refinery and petrochemical plant and deepen synergies by creating a single platform. The upgrade has also enabled us to lower energy and water use at both sites and limit air emissions, thereby reducing the platform’s environmental impact. The work undertaken has brought platform production in line with changing demand. Today, the refinery’s output represents 12% of France’s total refining capacity and the petrochemicals plant accounts for 11% of plastics produced in France. Products from the Normandy platform are sent to 60 countries worldwide. KING HENRY is played by Tom Hiddleston, FRENCH AMBASSADOR by Jérémie Covillault, EXETER by Anton Lesser, YORK by Paterson Joseph, CHORUS by John Hurt and FRENCH KING by Lambert Wilson. Inside the Boar’s Head Tavern, two recruiting officers, FLUELLEN (Owen Teale) and COURT (Jack Ryder), are signing up recruits for the HENRY’s army. A room full of afternoon drunkards has become a mass of soldiers ready to fight. Preparations in the Palace continue. YORK inspects weapons in the Royal Armoury and EXETER, in the role of envoy to France, bows before HENRY to say farewell. Title page of The Chronicle History of Henry Fift (1600) EXETER has travelled to meet the KING OF FRANCE (Lambert Wilson) and is escorted through the Palace by MONTJOY In the French Court we see the King and his son with the DUKE OF ORLEANS (Stanley Webber) and the CONSTABLE OF FRANCE (Maxime Lefrançois) The King tells ORLEANS and THE DAUPHIN to prepare their towns for war but THE DAUPHIN replies that there is nothing to worry about The CONSTABLE tells THE DAUPHIN that he is much mistaken According to MONTJOY’s report from England KING HENRY is modest yet constant in his resolution to fight France The KING OF FRANCE finishes his instructions by reinforcing the CONSTABLE’s warning – they must think of KING HENRY as a strong force and be armed ready to match him He reminds them of their previous defeat against Edward MONTJOY steps towards and the King calls for EXETER EXETER bows before the King and delivers a message from HENRY In God’s name the KING OF FRANCE must return “borrowed glories” and give up the throne or otherwise France and it’s people will face great danger The KING OF FRANCE will consider and give his response the next day EXETER then delivers a separate message to THE DAUPHIN KING HENRY has not forgotten his mocking gift of tennis balls HENRY will make THE DAUPHIN pay the price if the KING OF FRANCE does not comply with the demands THE CHORUS sets the scene as we see the English fleet on its approach to France We are told that the KING OF FRANCE offered his daughter to HENRY together with some small Dukedoms HENRY refuses the offer and prepares to besiege the walled town of Harfleur In a rallying patriotic cry to fight for their country HENRY tells his soldiers to summon their courage PISTOL and NYM are hiding behind a wall trying to avoid the fighting With them is FALSTAFF’s BOY who has traveled to France as a stowaway on the ship They are spotted by FLUELLEN who drags the three men towards the battle The BOY draws his sword and Fluellen allows him to join the fight YORK orders troops through a breach in the defensive wall BARDOLPH appears from a church holding booty and a golden cross but is grabbed by YORK before he can escape with his loot The following day YORK brings the GOVERNOR OF HARFLEUR (Philippe De Brugada) forward to meet KING HENRY by the town gates The King tells him in no uncertain terms to hand over the town otherwise he will destroy both it and its people The GOVERNOR admits that THE DAUPHIN has failed to send reinforcements in time and agrees to yield the town The English soldiers guard groups of French men FLUELLEN offers PISTOL and NYM a drink from his flask prompting PISTOL to ask the Captain if he’ll speak to YORK in order to save BARDOLPH from being hung for theft FLUELLEN tells PISTOL that YORK is right to enforce strict discipline Inside the French palace PRINCESS KATHERINE and ALICE There is a humorous exchange as KATHERINE tries to learn the English names for various parts of the body In the English camp above Agincourt disease has spread PISTOL and NYM are digging graves for the bodies MONTJOY rides through the camp and is met outside the King’s tent by HENRY MONTJOY announces that they have been merely waiting to pick the right moment to fight The KING OF FRANCE is now ready to make England repent unless HENRY is ransomed in return for the loss suffered KING HENRY tells MONTJOY that they will not refuse an invitation to fight even though due to sickness they do not wish it In contrast to the desolate state of affairs in the English camp ORLEANS and the CONSTABLE are in a buoyant mood in the French camp THE DAUPHIN is eager for the night to be over so that they can make their attack on the English Horses are groomed and swords are sharpened The view changes back to the English camp where the mood is quiet and somber as soldiers try to sleep THE CHORUS draws attention to the difference between the “confident and over-lusty French” and the “poor condemned English.” We see two figures move amongst the fires in the English camp: KING HENRY and YORK persuading them to take courage in the situation SIR THOMAS ERPINGHAM (Paul Freeman) to lend him a cloak The King heads towards the soldiers sat by the fires HENRY pretends to be one of FLUELLEN’s men whereupon PISTOL takes offence and walks away HENRY continues through the camp unrecognized and meets two men BATES (John Dagleish) and WILLIAMS (Gwilym Lee) They discuss the King’s responsibility in bringing them all to the war BATES is pessimistic about their chances of surviving the impending battle whilst WILLIAMS notes that if the cause of this war is not just then the King will have a heavy reckoning to justify their deaths Still unrecognized HENRY argues back that the King’s cause is just and honourable and says that he would be angry with them should the circumstances be different WILLIAMS challenges him to a fight and the pair exchange gloves as an agreement to suspend their challenge until another day The KING moves away and in a soliloquy discusses the responsibility he holds and how HENRY asks him to gather the nobles in his tent the King quietly says a prayer for his soldiers and asks God not to choose this moment to take revenge for his father’s involvement in over-throwing RICHARD II After sunrise The DAUPHIN and ORLEANS feel confident about the day ahead They ride to the front of their troops ready to lead them into battle HENRY and YORK walk amongst their troops who look run down in comparison WESTMORELAND and SALISBURY are discussing their chances of surviving the battle ERPINGHAM comments that HENRY has ridden towards the French camp to view their numbers for himself HENRY overhears WESTMORELAND wishing they had more men with them KING HENRY remarks that they should not wish for one man more the loss will have less impact on the country but if they win they will have a greater share of honour Anyone who sheds blood alongside the King today will remain his brother whilst the men who remain at home will only be sorry that they weren’t here themselves SALISBURY steps forward to announce that the French are ready to fight tells HENRY that he wishes they alone could fight this battle HENRY gives YORK the signal to move forward MONTJOY rides up to HENRY and asks once more for the King to name his ransom before the French almost certainly defeat them The King watches as his army advances towards the French HENRY refuses MONTJOY again and heads off towards the battlefield to join his troops He rides up to EXETER to give orders for the archers to advance EXETER then gives the signal to the archers to pick up their stakes move forwards The King’s horse rears and HENRY is thrown to the ground EXETER and the archers prepare to loose arrows as the French cavalry slowly begins to advance EXETER holds his nerve until the time is right to give the signal Men and horses fall to the ground and the cavalry charge ends in chaos FLUELLEN leads a charge of men from out of the woods to ambush the French The DAUPHIN and the CONSTABLE are with ORLEANS as he dies We see the BOY amongst the trees and a hand is placed on his shoulder He looks up to see YORK who suddenly cries out and falls the CONSTABLE is felled by an arrow from an English bowman The BOY tries to stem YORK’s bleeding with a cloth and cradles the Duke as he dies approach HENRY with the news that YORK is dead HENRY sees three French horsemen in the distance Livid with anger that the French have reinforced their army he gives the order to kill all the French prisoners MONTJOY is brought in front of the King by EXETER MONTJOY asks for HENRY’s permission to recover the bodies of their men from the battlefield in safety KING HENRY asks if the French have accepted defeat HENRY asks EXETER to go with MONTJOY and report back with numbers of dead KING HENRY returns to camp and sees WILLIAMS HENRY asks WILLIAMS about the glove he wears in his cap WILLIAMS explains that the glove is proof of a challenge from the previous night HENRY produces the other glove from his belt FLUELLEN suggests that WILLIAMS should be hung but the King accepts a profuse apology He tells FLUELLEN to fill the glove with coins for WILLIAMS EXETER returns with news from the battlefield Ten thousand are dead on the French side but the English have survived with fewer than thirty men killed The King declares it must be the work of God and gives the order to process through the village and then on to Calais for the return home EXETER and WESTMORELAND at the negotiating table THE DAUPHIN and several advisors sit at the other end the DUKE OF BURGANDY (Richard Griffiths) oversees the peace talks Whilst the KING OF FRANCE asks that their quarrel be turned into love the DUKE suggests that peace can be used to return France to her former glory The peace they talk of must be bought about by agreeing to all just demands HENRY tells EXETER and WESTMORELAND to go with the KING OF FRANCE to discuss their claims and asks that KATHERINE remain HENRY tells KATHERINE that he loves her and asks her marry him KATHERINE takes some persuading but replies that if it pleases her father The KING OF FRANCE announces that all demands are agreed including the giving of his daughter in marriage to HENRY Peace is achieved between the two countries THE CHORUS tells us that soon France would be lost with the state in the hands of so many advisors All are leaving the funeral except for the BOY who looks down at the blood stained cloth held in his hands The camera tilts up from the cloth and we see our boy in later years as CHORUS Standing by the throne in the Hall of Westminster The CHORUS asks us to accept this story on behalf of those who gave their lives in battle © 2025 WNET PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Abstract: Taking as a starting point the illuminating similarity between the critical reception of Kenneth Branagh’s film of Henry V (1989) and the liberal humanist reading of the Shakespearean play-text this article highlights a series of significant stress-points in the play-text and looks at the way they are dealt with in the Branagh film It is claimed that the film is riven by one central contradiction: namely detached) and a personal (emotional) representation of the action it is argued that the film’s promotion of the spectator’s identification with the psychology of power makes of Branagh’s Henry a leader for our politically muddled times Introduction: Kenneth Branagh’s film of Henry V was greeted with wide critical acclaim of a kind which repays close attention was inspired by a 1984 RSC production directed by Adrian Noble where Branagh also played the leading role A paradigmatic reaction to that production of a kind that was reproduced five years later in the film’s reception was that of the theatre critic of the Daily Mail after describing the «young Mr Kenneth Branagh» as a «patriotic poet» Offhand I can’t remember a day when it seemed so marvellous or mad to be English Suddenly the chronic inconvenience of London’s transport strike and the continuing horrors of the mining dispute were put into the merciful perspective of history […] here at Stratford brave and poetic Henry bridging the centuries between by reminding us of the unlikely spirit which won Agincourt […] (On hearing) Harry’s Harfleur spirit […] it did not seem improbable that there are still good reasons to be in England now that April’s almost here both the 1984 RSC production of the play and Branagh’s 1989 film tapped into an emotion of patriotism as well as into a deep nostalgia for an imagined unity of the nation which serve as consolation for the conflicts divisions and negations of the present (i.e the transport strike and the mining dispute) Click here to read this article from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Krohn made his Stratford debut as Lenny in last season's production of The Homecoming and appeared in McAnuff's music-filled production of Twelfth Night His Broadway credits include The Farnsworth Invention McAnuff won the Tony Award for Direction for The Who's Tommy and Big River The Henry V company also features Ben Carlson (Captain Fluellen) Rob Stone (Musician) and Sophia Walker (Boy) McAnuff, who is stepping down as artistic director after this season "We live in an era when war in foreign lands is again very much on our minds and Henry V is one of the greatest dramas about war ever written that's because Shakespeare doesn’t take sides: this is neither an overtly anti-war play nor a jingoistic celebration of military glory it confronts head-on all the paradoxes and ambivalences inherent in warfare and raises the kinds of questions we still struggle with today And how do you hold on to your moral compass in the heat of combat?" The production team includes set designer Robert Brill fight director Steve Rankin and associate director Lezlie Wade The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's 2012 season in Stratford, Ontario, runs in rep on four stages until Oct. 28, featuring Much Ado About Nothing; 42nd Street; The Matchmaker; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Pirates of Penzance; A Word or Two; Cymbeline; Wanderlust; Elektra; The Best Brothers; Hirsch and The War of 1812. For more information, visit stratfordfestival.ca Gail Kriegel's new play follows a family affected by mental illness The Tony-winning Best Musical continues at the Walter Kerr Theatre Noah Himmelstein will direct Matthew Puckett's original musical Neumann is the Tony nominated choreographer behind Hadestown and Swept Away one Tony winner is playing the trumpet while the other is channeling Mama Rose Thank You!You have now been added to the list Blocking belongson the stage,not on websites Our website is made possible bydisplaying online advertisements to our visitors Please consider supporting us bywhitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.Thank you about . contact . advertising . support Scheming bishops hope hostilities with France will distract Henry’s attention from the church; a nefarious French dauphin seeks war for his own ends Charles McMahon’s direction plays up Henry’s nobility as the king skillfully conducts battles he did not seek Henry’s merciless threats of rape and murder to the besieged citizens of Harfleur are grandiose his hasty decision to kill French prisoners on the fields of Agincourt is given scant attention his mistreatment of erstwhile companions is presented uncritically McMahon flags the theatrical pretense of the Chorus role and Apple-Hodge draws us to the action with each appearance Actors go through pre-show routines as she begins the prologue; costume changes are often full-view The emphasis on theatrical artifice is wise: each actor in this steady cast takes several roles (no one disappoints) To Chris: You certainly throw a lot of words and ideas around in your reveiw. In your reveiw you called the play “disjointed”. Well, at least you forced yourself to make at least one negative observation. John D’Alessandro jayboy322@yahoo.com Support Phindie operations This year is the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt An exhibition in Paris is due to open a new exhibition commemorating the battle in which Britain’s Henry V triumphed The battle took place in 1415 at the battlefield at Agincourt The start of the battle was on 25th October and to this day it remains a classic victory for the English on foreign soil but still incurs mixed feelings from both the British and French The battle took place on muddy ground between two woods Henry V did not really want to fight the battle after a long and bloody siege of Harfleur just before Further his Welsh and English army was tired as well as being vastly outnumbered by a rested and ready French army bloody battle and many of the details still remain unconfirmed and or contested particularly because of the surprising ending in favor of the British The French suggest Henry’s army was a war machine and legend says he threatened his men with losing an ear if they tried to desert the battle Meanwhile the French are said to have threatened cutting off every English bowman’s fingers if they were captured the archers enabled the English to hold their position for three hours Henry decided to advance and the French charged It was a disaster and the French were cut to pieces by the English archers who were firing around 10 arrows a minute each French reinforcements with heavy armor advanced on foot and waded through the muddy fields but were killed as soon as they were in range Once the English archers had used all of their arrows the troops turned to axes swords and mallets against the losing French side with many simply drowning or suffocating in the mud Historians believe the French lost between 4,000 and 10,000 troops, while the English are said to have lost around 1,500. Henry returned triumphant to a London welcome parade at the end of November, The Guardian reports Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE Fought on a muddy field in France on St Crispin's Day 600-years on the Battle of Agincourt is still celebrated as one of England's most stunning military successes King Henry V is unlikely to have spoken the words "Cry 'God for Harry and Saint George,' attributed to him by the playwright two-years into his reign and just seven years before his death aged 35 Henry V who claimed the title of King of France invaded after negotiations broke down with the French over the rightful owner of the crown While he would have been prepared to renounce his claim for lands and money as well as the hand in marriage of Princess Catherine Given money and permission by the English parliament to recover his crown he set off for Normandy in Northern France But his campaign stumbled at the strategic port of Harfleur which held out for almost a month under siege The English army also suffered many casualties through disease As sickness claimed lives and with the campaign season coming to an end it might have been sensible to return to England But with only one port to show for his troubles it might have looked like defeat so instead Henry opted to march his bedraggled troops to the English stronghold of Calais While the French had been unable to raise an army in time to come to port Harfleur's aid as Henry's army approached Calais their soldiers were ready and they began to block his route so he marched his men away from the French troops heading south to hunt for a place to cross the River Somme But there was no way to avoid them forever and as they trudged north again the French army was waiting trapping them on a muddy field between the woods of Azincourt and Tramecourt but historians believe Henry had somewhere in the region of 6,000 to 8,000 Estimates place French numbers between 12,000 and 30,000 the recently ploughed land hemmed in by dense woodland favoured the English both because of its narrowness and because of the thick mud which the French knights had to walk through What he said to his troops has become the stuff of Shakespearian legend but Henry is known to have placed archers on the flanks and ordered them to put sharpened wooden stakes along their front line raining down arrows on the French forces as they advanced Yet there was also a brutal medieval melee hammers and horse charges as the armies slugged it out Their attacks on the centre of the English line had turned into a killing ground yet when they widened their attack they met similar resistance when Henry expected an attack on his rear that never materialised he ordered newly captured prisoners killed it is still celebrated as a golden moment in England's history Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Europe: Triumphs of the Past: Battle Gear of Henry VKing Henry: Once more unto the breach Or close the wall up with our English dead A generation ago this was the Henry V that everyone knew making his film version during the Second World War was a handsome and valiant Englishman taking his people onward into battle King Henry: In peace there's nothing so becomes a man But when the blast of war blows in our ears Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage; For a country at war Shakespeare's dashing young Henry is an inspiring figure walks among his soldiers on the eve of battle showing 'a little touch of Harry in the night' The whole nation is united in arms and becomes one great family That you are worth your breeding - which I doubt not; The young hero leads his men to victory against the French King Henry: I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips I've come to the museum at Westminster Abbey and I'm looking at what Henry V needed in 1415 as he led those greyhounds out of the slips and into the battle at Agincourt a sturdy helmet and a saddle for a war horse more than 2 feet high and it is curved to fit round and to protect the body that held it The wooden saddle still has some of its original hessian padding and leather attached to it The dark metal helmet is battered but edged with decorated brass Astonishingly I am being allowed to hold the sword the sword that may possibly have been Henry's own It is about 3 feet long and it's surprisingly light this is a weapon you really could use in battle beautifully balanced and bearing the marks of use The reason these instruments of battle are here in the Abbey is that for centuries they were put on public display They're known as funeral achievements and they are sort of theatrical props in the great theatre of national history that Westminster Abbey had become - emblems of royal display They arrived at Westminster Abbey on 7 November 1422 at Henry V's funeral England ne'er lost a king of so much worth I've now moved into the main body of the Abbey and I'm standing behind the shrine of Edward the Confessor In the 1590s when Shakespeare and his audiences might well have come here Henry V's military memorials would have hung here and they were still colourful and bright the blue and gold velvet on the sumptuously covered saddle the blue figured Chinese silks that lined his shield had not yet faded and a painted leopard crest was still in place on his dented helmet Today I am surrounded by tourists as well as by tombs I can see visitors admiring behind me the altar of the Lady Chapel It's been going on here for 400 years and was already happening in Shakespeare's day A German visitor to London paid to see these very Westminster monuments where I am standing now and he dutifully recorded it in his diary He recalled especially royal tombs such as this one of Henry V and as he couldn't then snap a quick photo on his phone he carefully transcribed the epitaph 'Henry Such sight-seeing visits were so commonplace that Jacobean satirists were already sneering at London's well established tourist trail: 'Why do the rude vulgar so hastily post in a madness And think them happy when maybe showed for a penny 'It is quite a surprise to discover that Westminster Abbey was a real tourist attraction in London round about 1600.' Westminster Abbey had become such a popular tourist attraction that there were actually guides employed there who would give you the guided tour which is exactly what you would pay to get into the theatre and the guide would take you around the tombs and give you a little history lesson You would go from tomb to tomb and on each tomb there would be an effigy of the monarch There would be a description in Latin of who they were and one imagines the guide would have translated these for you The tombs and effigies of the English kings were the main attractions So there is an extraordinary parallel between the process of going to the theatre to see the history plays and going to the Abbey to see the `living monuments' the lively statues of the kings and queens in question.' So in Shakespeare's time there are two easy ways of learning about national history: you can come to Westminster Abbey pay a penny and be instructed about the 'living monuments' of dead kings or you can go to the theatre pay a penny and see the great Kings stride out in front of you - and in each case the monarch with the most is going to be Henry V It might seem strange that a king whose reign was so short and whose conquests were so ephemeral should be given star status in the 1590s Historian Susan Doran explains why Henry V was elevated to this position of national icon and how far Shakespeare's version of him corresponded to the real historical Henry: 'Most historians today I would say would think that the gap between the myth and reality in the presentation of Henry V is not as wide as it would be Henry V is presented as the exemplary figure for chivalry he is someone who is able to rally his troops to join him in a band of brothers is that he was a figure that rallied the English against their ancient enemy and in the Elizabethan It was that aspect of his character and the myth about him that was considered important that he could unite Englishmen successfully in war.' This monument of Henry V was immensely popular and many in Shakespeare's audience watching the play of Henry V would have seen it with his arms from the battle of Agincourt hanging high above They would have understood that here were memorials of unsurpassed military triumph but also of admirable royal humility - because for many people these would have been the very sword and helmet that Shakespeare's King Henry refuses to parade vaingloriously through the streets of London after his triumphs in France Chorus: You may imagine him upon Blackheath Where that his lords desire him to have borne Being free from vainness and self-glorious pride The two popular ways of learning national history were closely connected The playhouses and Westminster's tourist attractions both drew large and diverse audiences Thanks to Shakespeare and to Christopher Marlowe the history play as a genre takes off in the 1590s and indeed it comes to define Elizabethan theatre 'The public theatre was a new thing in Shakespeare's lifetime and one of the big innovations that it brought to the cultural life of the nation was plays about English history You can roughly trace this from the time of the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 This was really the first opportunity that ordinary people had to discover about the history of their own nation For the ordinary people to get a sense of the history of the nation The history on offer was exhilaratingly jingoistic Henry V contrives to be not just anti-French Its tabloid nationalism was predictably popular and the history plays made Shakespeare's reputation and eventually they would make his fortune They were helped by the assertion that they were useful as they were based in fact and because they made the people watching them better citizens And this gave those running the theatres ammunition to defend the stage against its puritanical critics It was a line of reasoning that the playwright Thomas Heywood ingeniously set out in 1612: taught the unlearned the knowledge of many famous victories instructed such as cannot read in the discovery of all our English chronicles : to teach the subjects' obedience to their king; to show the people the untimely ends of such as have moved tumults commotions and insurrections; and to present them with flourishing estate of all such as live in obedience dehorting them from all traitorous and felonious stratagems.' Shakespeare does not neglect Elizabeth's ancestor when he dramatises the story for his audience Catherine of Valois is one of Shakespeare's most captivating young women We see her struggling to lisp out a little English before she is wooed On stage they are the celebrity couple of everybody's dreams destined surely to grace the cover of Hello magazine and their first kiss in Act V is greeted with the cheers of the adoring public King Henry: You have witchcraft in your lips Kate: there is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues of the French Council and they should sooner persuade Harry of England than a general petition of monarchs.' they continued to be a joint attraction in death is the tomb of his sugar-lipped wife which was also a much visited tourist sight in the 1590s and for good reason: Catherine's embalmed corpse lay fully exposed to view It was perfectly possible to touch her indeed the diarist Samuel Pepys did exactly that seventy years later Pepys leaned over in Westminster Abbey and kissed Catherine on the lips We don't know whether he found witchcraft in them but he was certainly very moved: and had her upper part of her body in my hands reflecting upon it that I did kiss a Queen It must have made quite a difference watching Henry kiss Catherine on stage if you had seen In tomorrow's programme we move from the heroic past to a very un-heroic present from triumphs in France to the continuing turmoil in Ireland The Donmar Warehouse have announced full casting for Donmar Associate Director Max Webster’s production of Shakespeare’s Henry V  Shakespeare’s ever popular play is a thrilling study of nationalism The production is designed by Fly Davis with lighting by Lee Curran; sound by Carolyn Downing For more information and to book tickets, please click here Advertising Website design by: Tess Robinson the 600-year old ship that sailed to France as part of Henry V's war fleet Historic England is taking steps to protect and investigate a shipwreck in Hampshire that is believed to be the second of four ‘great ships’ built for Henry V’s royal fleet Experts from Historic England believe the wreck that lies buried in mud in the River Hamble near Southampton The Holigost was a major part of Henry V’s war machine playing a key role in the two battles that broke French naval power and enabled Henry to conquer France in the early 15th century The Holigost joined the royal fleet on 17 November 1415 and took part in operations between 1416 and 1420 including two of the most significant naval battles of the Hundred Years War It served as the flagship of the Duke of Bedford at the battle of Harfleur in 1416 and was in the thick of the fighting off the Chef de Caux in 1417 It was rebuilt from a large Spanish ship called the Santa Clara that was captured in late 1413 or early 1414 The name of the ship is derived from Henry V’s personal devotion to the Holy Trinity Technical drawing reconstructing the ‘Holigost’ © Historic England The find was made by Dr Ian Friel, historian and an expert adviser to Historic England when he worked for the former Archaeological Research Centre. He was re-visiting documentary evidence for his new book, Henry V’s Navy and brought his findings to Historic England ships and operations of Henry’s sea war and tells the dramatic and bloody story of the naval conflict which at times came close to humiliating defeat for the English Friel said: ‘I am utterly delighted that Historic England is assessing the site for protection and undertaking further study further research leading to the rediscovery of the Holigost would be even more important than the identification of the Grace Dieu in the 1930s The Holigost fought in two of the most significant naval battles of the Hundred Years War battles that opened the way for the English conquest of northern France.’ Chief Executive of Historic England (formerly known as English Heritage) which is now beginning further research and assessing the boat for protection said: ‘The Battle of Agincourt is one of those historic events that has acquired huge national significance ‘To investigate a ship from this period close to the six hundredth anniversary is immensely exciting It holds the possibility of fascinating revelations in the months and years to come Historic England is committed to realising the full potential of the find.’ The ship had a crew of 200 sailors in 1416 but also carried large numbers of soldiers to war Conditions aboard must have been crowded and unpleasant The ship carried seven cannon (guns were not so important in sea war then) along with 102 ‘gads’ – fearsome iron spears thrown from the topcastle that could easily penetrate the body armour of the period the Holigost would be a tangible link with the life and times of Henry V it was built to further Henry’s war aims but its decoration and flags also reflected both his personal religious devotion and his political ideas this included a French motto Une sanz pluis which meant that the king alone should be master Artist’s impression of the ‘Holigost’ © Historic England The ship was a clinker-built (using overlapping planks of timber) of around 740-760 tons Despite huge expenditure on maintenance work the Holigost began to succumb to leaks and timber decay In 1423 a ‘dyver’ named Davy Owen was employed to dive under the ship to stop up cracks the earliest-known instance in England of a diver being used in ship repair Future scientific research on the ship could reveal much about late medieval ship design and construction The wreck might also improve current understanding of life aboard ship ship-handling and naval warfare in the 15th century Given the care with which the ship was laid up the site itself might also preserve information about contemporary dock-building and docking practices Historic England experts use a range of research methods remote sensing including aerial imaging using drones The remains of the largest of the four ships, the Grace Dieu were identified in the river Hamble in the 1930s and have been protected since 1974 Dr Friel first spotted the wreck site on an English Heritage aerial photograph of the Bursledon stretch of the river Hamble when he worked in the former Archaeological Research Centre (ARC) at the National Maritime Museum He made the connection with documentary evidence that Henry V’s Holigost had been laid up there Subsequent probing of the site by ARC revealed the presence of a solid object under the mud of the river Hamble in Hampshire Dr Friel has included the air photo in his new book Henry V’s Navy and brought the site to the attention of Historic England Historic England has moved to protect the ship and will soon begin further research Origin: originally the Santa Clara [Saint Claire – of Assisi an Italian Saint and early follower of Saint Francis of Assisi] a ship belonging to the Queen of Spain; captured late 1413/early 1414 by one of William Soper’s ships [Soper was one of Henry V’s key admin men]; rebuilt 1414-15 as the Holigost Disposal: docked at Burseldon (Hamble) in 1426; last mentioned in records 1447-52 Summary: only ever used in war operations; participated in Earl of Dorset’s expedition to the Seine (1416) the battles of 1416 (off Harfleur) and 1417 (in the Bay of the Seine) (the ship was damaged in both) and the Earl of Devon’s seakeeping voyage of 1420 Varying tonnage figures due to the addition of upperworks for specific expeditions A car has been completely destroyed by fire after a car crash in south Deniliquin yesterday Deniliquin’s Fire + Rescue NSW were dispatched to the blaze about 7.30am and the car was well alight by the time they travelled the short distance to the crash site Seven firefighters responded with two appliances and worked diligently to bring the fire under control Firefighters then concentrated on cooling down the engine bay and monitoring for any potential risk of a flare up by using thermal imaging cameras Deniliquin Police and NSW Ambulance paramedics also attended with Edward River Council staff providing traffic control An official report on the crash was not available from Murray River Police District at the time of going to print yesterday Witnesses report seeing the burned car travelling along Crispe St then reportedly crashed into the front of a car stopped in Harfleur St to give way to her Witnesses speculate her vision may have been impaired as a result of the sun Emergency services confirmed the woman suffered minor injuries as a result of the crash French prime minister Manuel Valls has opened the door to possible changes in a labour bill that has sparked intensifying strikes and protests - but insisted the government will not abandon the measures aimed at boosting hiring by loosening protection for workers have sparked the toughest challenge yet to President Francois Hollande and his Socialist government as union activists disrupt fuel supplies "There could be improvements and modifications," Mr Valls said He did not elaborate on what might be changed and insisted that the "heart" of the bill should remain Members of the CGT union immediately dismissed the gesture "It's inadmissible," said Arnaud Pacot of the CGT in the Aube region of eastern France from a nuclear plant being blocked by protesters Union activists blocked a major bridge across the Seine River on France's northern coast and a tunnel in Marseille as part of protest action and one-day strikes around the country Demonstrators gathered early at a central square in the port town of Harfleur Activists were unapologetic about the disruption they planned "We have to hit where it hurts," said union official Gilles Guyomard "And where it hurts is the bosses' wallets." The activists then went to the 2km Normandy Bridge at Le Havre setting a pile of tyres on fire and blocking toll booths Protesters dispersed two hours later after closures that jammed traffic and stranded motorists Mr Valls insists the bill is "good for workers" and small businesses and argued that many of its critics are ill-informed of its contents makes it easier to fire workers in times of economic downturn and weakens the power of unions to set working conditions across an entire sector France's junior minister for transport later insisted that strikes at oil refineries and nuclear plants will not leave the country without fuel or electricity Alain Vidalies said on Europe-1 radio: "We don't risk running out." He acknowledged "the situation remains tense" with five of the country's eight oil refineries on strike and one closed for maintenance he said supplies to petrol pumps improved slightly on Thursday He said: "We unblocked 11 (fuel) depots and will continue to unblock them." He played down any concerns that nuclear plant strikes would lead to blackouts saying France could import electricity if needed please register for free or log in to your account The cause of a small fire which started in the Blake Reserve in west Deniliquin on Wednesday night is unknown Deniliquin’s Fire + Rescue NSW brigade was called to a reported ‘bush fire’ in Harfleur St about 5.30pm Deputy Captain Les Booth said as they arrived neighbours were trying to put it out with buckets of water Firefighters finished off the job shortly after Absorbent sand had to be spread at the corner of Hardinge and Charlotte Sts on Saturday morning following a diesel spill on Saturday Deniliquin’s Fire + Rescue NSW fighters were called to provide hazmat services about 7.56am TCW has once again heard from the UK’s leading crisis actor He tells us of a recent interview with BBC News concerning the conflict in the Ukraine I regret to report that the past couple of months have been rather disappointing pour moi Despite my ascendence to the pinnacle of the crisis acting profession calls for my unique talents have been few and far between I had great hopes that monkeypox would prove to be the devastating successor to Covid-19 but it has proved to be merely the dampest of squibs Ebola and other more exotic maladies have bubbled under the surface but are yet to make the promised terrifying breakthrough whilst bird flu has proven to be nothing more than a dead duck I have spent more time than I would have liked delivering sustenance to the young men from East Africa who hold sway in the four-star hotels of Brentford necessary for one to accept roles that one would normally dismiss. Such an opportunity occurred last week to pose as a sturdy English patriot and rendezvous outside Barons Court tube station with a young lady from BBC News My role was to express my complete support for the flower of the UK’s youth to engage in a bloodthirsty conflict with the Russian bear I was to add that Sir Keir was doing a marvellous job and that Trump For my role I adopted the mien of someone who might well have been a stalwart of Esher Tennis Club.  The interview went remarkably well but I fear I may have overcooked the theme somewhat by reprising my bravura performance as Henry V at the Princess Theatre Hunstanton in 1998 It may not have been a good idea to recite the entirety of his famous speech at Harfleur… but when the blast of war blows in our ears Perhaps wisely the BBC omitted that part of the interview it seems that my call to arms was met with universal acclaim and I was told that the interview was then given top billing on the website of an organisation called the Azov Brigade These chaps have rewarded me with honorary membership and invited me to join them any time at their camp on the outskirts of Kharkiv I shall consider taking up their kind offer when the weather improves and I look forward to participating in their jolly exercises and campfire songs said to me when she came to RADA to present the Roger Moore Award for Winking a prize for which I was unaccountably the runner-up I have found that it is better to be winked at than to wink Now be a darling and see if you can find me a Lumumba and a packet of Maltesers.’ As ever my message to you is that when you are inclined to feel down in the dumps an unexpected opportunity is invariably lurking around the next corner Despite facing the raging torrents of cruel fortune and the attendant innumerable setbacks Erasmus Demosthenes Hepplewhite will always pick himself up and dust himself down to be at the forefront of whatever disaster is hurled in the nation’s path (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle ||[]).push({});