The Guardian: I discovered recently that Richard Wagner liked to spend his evenings at home performing scenes from Henry VI. You can see why Shakespeare’s monumental trilogy would appeal to the creator of the Ring cycle. You could also hardly have a starker contrast than Wagner’s solo efforts – “in the face of which,” said his wife, Cosima, “mortals can only be silent” – and the RSC’s upcoming production of Henry VI Parts 2 and 3, which will feature a total cast of 120.
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I wonder what the logistics are of gathering such a big group of participants onstage. The article doesn't seem to specify whether they get compensated for their work, or if it's more of a volunteer arrangement. From an artistic standpoint, though, I think that scene is going to be very powerful. Something that I've studied in film is the Epic film, in which they hire dozens if not hundreds of extras to make up an entire city or an entire army. The effect is that the story feels larger than life, and helps the audience get swept away in the spectacle. I expect that this moment in the play will have a similar effect. I am curious, though, as to the decision to both include cameras and have actors operate them. In my mind, having characters in medieval clothes operate cameras would take me out of the world a bit. Granted, I'm not that familiar with the play that they're working with, so it's possible that it actually makes perfect sense when you see it.
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