Gregory Doran Character Analysis

We went to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on Thursday 22nd October 2015 located in Stratford to watch Gregory Doran's adaptation of Henry V, written by William Shakespeare. Doran cleverly intertwined Stanislavskian characterisation with Brechtian elements to create a realistic yet dramatic performance. My expectations for this play were high because the Royal Shakespeare company are highly renowned and it intrigued me to see how they would make a historical play set in the 15th Century captivating and relatable to a modern audience. Doran's use of the thrust stage broke the illusion of a fourth wall as the two walkways (used as both entrances and exits to and from scenes) further involved the audience, ultimately making them feel part of the story and immersed in the action. The use of breaking the fourth wall displayed a Brechtian element to the play

He associated Britain with Earth dressing them in mostly brown (showing they are a strong and sturdy country) with red (a colour associated with the element fire) which could be foreshadowing the amount of bloodshed soon to come. Alex Hassell, who played King Henry V wore red also dotted with brown to show his English heritage and the colour gold to show that he is of a royal status and has incredible wealth. The colour scheme of France was royal blue and silver. The royal blue could be linked with the element water, highlighting that France and Britain are direct opposites and their divisions as nations because they were fighting as enemies. The Chorus played by a lone elderly man dressed in modern clothing with each item of clothing a representation of each element. (A blue jacket, red scarf, brown trousers and white shirt.) The colours show he is not on any side and is not biassed in his storytelling, in addition, it also portrays him as one of the audience; somebody we can relate