What I liked
The acting! The tech minimalism of the fringe format definitely highlights the acting but this was chock full of strong performances and fully realized characters. From powerful monologues from a minor character describing the carnage of war and urging the French to flee to the complicated jerk of a protagonist king, the whole cast was solid both in the precision of their text work and in the subtleties of the humanity of the characters they were portraying
What I didn't like
The only thing I was left wanting was a full two plus hour version with intermission and more tech – but that’s not what the fringe is about. This was excellent as the 90-minute version that can load in and out of a theatre in minutes. Bravo!
My overall impression
Fantastic! This play may not have the clout of the more oft-produced Shakespeare plays of undisputed origin but this production is easy to follow (for those wary of the unfamiliarity of the story), full of wonderful performances, and has clean and clear storytelling from beginning to end.
