I didn't exactly know what to expect, though I was almost sure it would be a performance not to forget, taking into account the fact that it would be by the well known Royal Shakespeare company made available to the Portuguese public through the live broadcast.
I was soon captivated by the actor performing the character of Chorus. Oliver Ford Davies was second to none in all of his short "inbetween" acts' intervening performances and more so after having realised he had also been a History lecturer at the University of Edimburgh.
The play, which might have been slightly tiresome was well put together by its director Gregory Doran with a great deal of humour and some phantastic acting. I must confess Alex Hassel's Henry didn't impress me that much at the begining though I must admit I quite liked him during the second part and particularly at the end during his attempt at wining Princess Katherine and thus ensuring the linking of France and England through marriage.
On the English side (so to say) there were quite a few performances I felt were brilliant, some of them played by the same actor as in the case of the characters Bardolph and Fluelen, a Welsh officer played by Joshua Richards or the conspirator Earl of Cambridge and Jamy, a Scottish officer both performed by Simon Yadoo, Nym (Christopher Midleton), the boy (Martin Bassindale), Pistol (Antony Byrne) and McMorris (Andrew Westfield), whilst on the French side I was only drawn to the King, Charles VI played by Simon Thorp and the Constable (Sam Marks) besides Katherine (Jennifer Kirby).
It was definitely worth having deviated my daily rotine way from the training Centre, which I wouldn't have had my daughter not insisted on it. I went to bed quite late as the performance started at around seven in the evening with a first half lasting 75 minutes with a 20 minute interval followed by a second half of 80 minutes but I do intend deviating any other time a live broadcast shall (potentially) provide me with a three hour cultural enjoyment.
Note: Photos taken by Keith Pattinson
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