HENRY V

Photography Steve Porter

★★★★★ "THEATRE AT ITS BEST" -Essential Surrey

"A superb production, brilliantly performed" -British Theatre Guide

"A GSC-guaranteed good night out!" -LondonTheatre1

"This GSC production shines, shocks, surprises and stuns" -Surrey Advertiser

"Phenomenal. Must-see Open Air theatre” -RemoteGoat.com

The once wild Prince Hal is now King; eager to prove himself. The French, even his own soldiers, question his readiness to lead. His response? To unite his country in a blistering campaign that will defy the odds and change the course of history.

HENRY V is Shakespeare's action-packed story of victory against the impossible, and a celebration of theatre’s electrifying power.

GSC’s acclaimed 2014 ★★★★★ “Phenomenal” production places five actors centre stage, conjuring more than 30 characters to life, with some of Shakespeare’s best-known speeches. As Henry’s ‘band of brothers’ they’ll transport you from Whitehall Palace to the mud and carnage of the Agincourt battlefield, staged against the majestic backdrop of the awesome Guildford Cathedral.

Digital Projection

As dusk begins to fall and the second half of the show gets underway, the carnage and melee of the infamous Battle of Agincourt will burst into life across the walls of the cathedral itself. Complementing Shakespeare’s words a stunning digital projection has been created to add to the excitement, danger and beauty of this classic David vs. Goliath story.

NB Due to the time of day, the matinee performance on 01 July will not include digital projection

“Having the Cathedral as a backdrop brings the epic, dangerous, action-packed, brutal yet redemptive story into blistering focus – the setting lets the thrilling themes of love and war truly resonate. As Henry and his men await their fate, the action of a 600-year-old battle doesn’t seem to have aged, as 5 – just 5 - actors bring Henry V back to life in 2023.” Caroline Devlin (adaptor & director)

The staging of Henry V at Guildford Cathedral is by kind permission of The Chapter of Guildford Cathedral.

Suitable for ages 8+ click for more

“A truly wonderful evening, bathed with a touch of magic.” Essential Surrey 2014 | “Jaw breakingly good” Audience member 2014

This summer our fabulous open-air company boast a wealth of experience from stage and screen, including the RSC, Welsh National Opera, Les Enfants Terribles, BBC ONE, Sky Atlantic, and Amazon Prime… and we’re honoured to bring them to Guildford.

GAVIN FOWLER plays the title role. Gavin joins us again for Henry V having previously played Berowne in All’s Well That Ends Well,  Robin in Robin Hood and Berowne in Love's Labour's Lost. Other credits include Troilus in Troilus and Cressida and Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol in 2022 with the RSC, and Dorian in the national touring production of The Picture of Dorian Gray. WILL ARUNDELL joins us for the first time, credits including Kinky Boots, Sweeney Todd, and A Christmas Carol in the West End. NIKITA JOHAL is another new fabulous face with GSC. Her credits include Chess (In Concert) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Spring Awakening at The Hope Mill Theatre, and a recent UK Tour with the Welsh National Opera. Joining them are GSC’s original co-founders SARAH GOBRAN and MATT PINCHES.

Read their full biographies in the programme, available to order when you book your tickets!