Henry I : A nonhistorians perspective

Special mentions to the cast

All of the cast took on each role with grace, whilst most of the cast played more than one role, it was very easy to differentiate between them. I found that one of the main things the cast did exceptionally well was embody the characters they played, a change in mannerisms,  tone of voice and facial expression all contributed to the clarity of which character they were in that moment. This was mastered by Georgie Fellows who played both Edith and Mabel, Fellows emotion was so impactful it gave goosebumps in earlier scenes when she had portrayed a female who had been sexually assaulted after her husband had been killed. Fellows approached the scene with such sensitivity and raw emotion that it evoked a strong emotional reaction from myself.

A character that really stood out was William Rufus and William Atheling, both played by Gabrielle Sheppard. Whilst credit must be given to the director Hal Chambers for the way in which Sheppard interacted with the audience, it would be unfair not to recognize the way she became the Williams! She took on the characters personalities as if they were stood on the stage themselves. One main area that was most enjoyable was a particular interaction that was had with the audience – at one point Shepard (in character) flirted with an audience member. Whilst being wildly entertaining and receiving a chorus of laughs from the audience – this also brought us even closer with the character. Although I was already feeling like I was in the 12^th century, I now began to believe I was a part of Williams world, and the rest of the audience were sat alongside me.

Toby W. Davies, who is the Co-artistic director of The Rabble Theatre played the main character Henry I. We saw the King transform from what seemed to be a man with a slight conscience to a man with a sinister false sense of immortality and finally towards the end of the play we see him look desperately for redemption by building an abbey. Through each stage of Henry I character development Toby Davies portrayed the emotions clearly and effectively, At the death of Henry I son William, we the audience saw the striking impact this had on the King and by the end of the 2 and a half hours I no longer felt as thought I was staring at an actor on the stage but the character himself. Each interaction Davies had with the cast members was thoughtful and emotive, with a clear change in tone and mannerisms in each scene.

Whilst special mentions have been given above this is not to take away from the talent and work shown on the stage by Greg Barnett who played Roberts De Belleme and Geoffrey. Barnett explored Belleme evil character in such a way that sent chills across the rows of viewers.

Joseph Black who played both Roger and Conan and delivered the conscious mind of a priest on stage allowing the audience to have a character in which they could find shelter, a character with  a strong conscience.

Mark Middleton who performed as both Robert Curthose & Ranulf Flambard also was captivating on the stage, embodying each character with ease and bringing them to life on the stage.

Amy Conachan who played Adela, Countess of Blois – a strong female character who broke all the ideas of femininity in the 12^th century by successful running a county in France by herself and finally Anjelica Serra who played Agnes of Ponthieu and Juliana of Breteuil, in fact Serra had the audience in the palm of her hand when delivering the portrayal of a mother’s grief and anger In the character of Juliana. No cast member fell short in this production.