Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasgow Four stars War is everywhere just now, both onstage in the numerous commemorations of World War One's centenary year as well as an increasingly ugly real world. The centrepiece of this year's Bard in the Botanics 'What We May Be' season, goes forth with three of Shakespeare's history plays to tackle both the personal and political consequences of conflict. Bard in the Botanics director Gordon Barr not only condenses both parts of Henry 1V into just over two hours, but has it played in the catwalk of the Kibble Palace by just three actors. It's a version full of macho swagger that charts Prince Hal's wild years from estrangement from his father and slumming it with Falstaff to finding out where his true loyalties lay. There's an acerbic edge to both James Ronan's Prince and Tom Duncan's Hotspur, while Kirk Bage lends emotional depth to Falstaff as well as the King. As Hal takes the throne and leaves the gang beh
An archive of arts writing by Neil Cooper. Effete No Obstacle.