Shakespeare's Henry V @ Monument National
Midnight Poutine, November 7, 2010 by Paloma
November is one of my least favourite months, and not only because many men think it acceptable to sport half-formed facial hair in support of a good cause. November marks the end of fall and the onset of winter, and as soon at the temperature starts to hover around 0°C, like a squirrel storing nuts, I search for nuggets of cultural goodness that'll keep me warm and toasty away from the cold.
My first find this year was Persephone Productions' staging of Shakespeare's Henry V, running from now until November 13 at Monument National. With a talented troupe and under the skilled direction of Gabrielle Soskin, Persephone's founder, Henry V offers up a thoughtful and timely war story.
Aaron Turner's King Henry is charming and convincing as a newly anointed, trigger-happy monarch who sets out to wage war against France. The rest of the cast are just as able -- impressive given that most are up-and-coming thespians and graduates of some of the city's theatre programs. Henry and his army find the battle not so easily won and we learn a lot about the nature of war -- lessons which can be applied to our volatile political stage today.