Thursday, January 29, 2026
A new Henry V is a barometer of our times – what can Shakespeare’s war play tell us amid global chaos?
Theatre | The Guardian: I have long argued that Shakespeare’s history plays have more urgent relevance today than his tragedies. The issues they raise – such as the nature of good governance and the difficulty of deposing a tyrant – are precisely those that still haunt us. Henry V, shortly to be given a new RSC production directed by Tamara Harvey, seems especially timely as we are living in a world where the threat of war is painfully real.
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I think that beyond just this show directors and other artists' art is greatly influenced by the time. I think in a very political show like this one it might feel more obvious to the audience but all shows bare the time that they were made in and the world that the artist was living in. I also just think like at least in the United States it feels like we're having our upheaval. We didn't need this show to predict it. I think that there are often times where it is valuable to look back at what someone like Shakespeare thought was relevant at a time of war. And also most important is to look forward to what comes after and to what current people need. I'm interested to see what comes of this iteration of the show and how it might move us forward.
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