It was indeed a literary pleasure to see the production of HENRY VI PART 2 at the Flow Studios, produced by the Sydney Shakespeare Company. Apparently this was the first production in this country of the full Henry VI trilogy. Often seen in abbreviated editions, the full version of Part Two displayed the evolution of Shakespeare’s playwriting style – stages of the play correspond to stages in his development, it is as if Shakespeare is learning how to write, in this the second of his 39 play oeuvre. Besides, how often do modern playwrights do what Shakespeare did centuries before, and film and television scriptwriters throughout the past century, and write sequels? Is this the first (and last?) example of a serial genre in theatre?
The plays opens with the static declamatory betrothal of Henry (Logan McArthur) and Margaret (Lana Morgan). The production of Parts One and Two use static rows of actors for ensemble scenes – one wonders if promenading and indirect enunciation was possible, for this celebration, especially using the balcony at this space. Gloucester (Brendan Layton) maintains the attractive, assertive style we saw in Part One. Warwick displays energy that fills the intimate warehouse space. Buckingham (Nathan Porteous) and Cardinal (Leo Domigan) continue their polished roles. The King worked well in Part One – but seems a little quiet in this play.
The ensemble does not seem quite as outstanding as in Part One – roles have changed, nevertheless overall it acquits the trajectory of Shakespeare’s style. All actors rise to the challenge of increasingly rich language – even if acting methodology needs to negotiate changes in style. Lana Morgan injects emotion into the contradictory dimensions of the Queen. Language is prosaic at first, and invites, even needs, muscular, visceral and loud articulation by York and others. It is indeed interesting to plot the play along axes of speech and action – their relationship varies as Shakespeare’s style evolves.
The historicism of Part One remains. Narration becomes varied with direct address to the audience by York (Chris Miller), in a fine soliloquy that anticipates, indeed pioneers, the dramatic style that would be perfected in the tragedies. HENRY VI Part 2 is concerned about the psychology of its historical personages. The existential drama of decision making and personal motivation, framed by the diffusion of power caused by the indecision and vagaries of the young King, creates a quagmire of delay, subterfuge, doubt and assertion through which Shakespeare discovers his peculiar sense of character. One can feel Hamlet in the shadow soliloquies of this play.
The Duchess (Amy Victoria Brooks) fills in the lacuna of indecision and foretelling with poeticised stream of consciousness – the peculiar mix of inner and outer speech projected directly to the audience. Amy does it well. As the play progresses, within the suspension of melodrama a range of sub genres comes forward – prayer (such as by Henry), magic and sorcery, gossip, romance confession, judgment, moral edicts, comic relief and lament. There is a redundancy within narration, in which the dynamics of powerful men, and women, are explored. The play is longer than Part One. The author is stretching his new found verbal wings, and enjoying it considerably.
There are exceptions. York goes to great lengths to explain the royal lineage that makes him king – even that list is overdone and can be seen as a form of comic relief at the expense of the arrogance that infects lead characters and contenders to power. Apparently Shakespeare works in a tradition as his audiences enjoyed the downfall of the powerful. If so he injects the downfall with lashings of verbal self revelation and justification, that are increasingly and consciously poeticised. The mind has no trouble building plausible, indeed attractive, defence. Poetry is the pre modern psychoanalytic language.
There are vignettes that fill the stage. It is great to see two characters in dynamic vigorous exchanges across a larger space. The exchange between the Duchess and Gloucester at the time of banishment is impressive. There are rituals – including sorcery, and the lament at Gloucester death. There is a raucous promenading scenes of Irish rebels and Cade, that acts first as comic relief then as a serious channel for a philistine revolutionary movement (think Pol Pot). Gradually characters such as Iden are introduced without narration or introduction, in manner of naturalist theatre.
Yet it is the soliloquies – ending magnificently with that of young Clifford – that emerge as the major style by the play’s end. They merge inner and outer speech, sometimes bypassing characters on stage to engage in direct address to the audience. It is a powerful technique that will serve its author with abundance in later plays. The plot might resemble the apocalypse of dead still bodies as in Hamlet, but poetry transcends and reanimates history and provides the lens through which some redemption is possible.
The visceral dimension suits this show, although it is possible volume was too loud and unvaried at times. The white walls of the warehouse still do not convince – some colour or banners, and lighting, seem needed. And that unrenovated industrial space creates problems of its own at 12C mid winter. Concrete floors that seem rustic in January are an unwelcome chill in July.
This review is of Sydney Shakespeare Company production of William Shakespeare’s HENRY VI PART TWO, directed by Steven Hopley, on the 17th July 2025 at Flow Studios, Camperdown.
