William Shakespeares Henry V begins with the newly appointed king of England, Henry V, who has grown an insatiable hunger to expand his power onto the regions of France. War steadily arises between England and France as Henry seeks to claim the throne of France away from its king, Charles. King Henry takes only a quarter of his troops to France whilst leaving the remainder of his army in England to ward of any possible threats from Scotland.
For Henry V, one can easily hold strong beliefs that environmental theatre would suit well as this play in itself is an assortment of performance alluding to battle, arguments, learning and betrayal.
Environmental theatre, also known to be called site-specific theatre, is a specific style of performance which builds a stronger sense of audience engagement and a greater realism by staging its performance in artistic real-world settings rather than the stereotypical theatre spaces known to be more traditional. Environmental theatre can easily be any production that attempts to immerse the audience in the performance. This is found to be accomplished by bringing the action off the stage area closer and lower. For example, some of the acting within the play may occur in aisles. In the case of a black box theatre, acting platforms (like small versions of stage) may even be built between audience section like a shattered stage with its pieces scattered about the audience space. In these cases of stage, the performer can sometimes talk to, or even involve an audience member in a scene. This should be a real audience member, rather than interactive theatre or an actor who had been disguised to appear as an audience member.
A foreseeable division of this is promenade theatre, where there can usually be expected to hold little or no seating for the audience. Instead, they watch the action happening among them, like a school-fight surrounded by pupils. The audience may even find themselves following the performers around the space.
As Henry V is a realistic setting of what may well be real occurrences, it could do well by the use of environmental theatre as the performance would suck the audience in. As the political plot of greed and power slowly unravels, the audience can be thrown into the very centre of war between England and France.
Environmental theatre would affect the audience in a great number of ways. In the environmental theatrical stage space above is shown, the audience would sit extremely close to the performance itself whilst surrounding the cast entirely. In this case, the audience would not only be concentrating on the actors; but other audience members who prompt the tender feel of education in ones self. In the case of many, they would watch the actors whilst glancing at the viewers every moment or two. They would take that second-long glance to survey what it is they find important within the scene. Almost as if they were literally sharing different views of the same performance. Extracting information from the actor and ones own audience member, one can find themselves uncover plots by their own attention and awareness.
Using a certain scene which should easily demonstrate the efficiency of environmental theatre upon Henry V can be found mid-play. After fortifying a surrendered French town called Harfleur; we are opened unto Act three, Scene four, where we encounter the daughter of King Charles, Princess Catherine. As she seems to have sparked an interest in the English language, Catherine asks an older gentlewoman named Alice to teach her English. This entire scene is done in French leaving most, if not all, of its audience lost. The only words spoken in English are the words the princess has begun learning; hand, finger, nails, foot, arm, chin, and elbow. Catherine learns these words well enough to repeat them all at the end of her lesson before going to dinner.
Whilst war wages all around this French Princess, it almost seems to be a joke as she wants to learn English. It would also seem that she may believe England to be victorious in Frances defeat resulting in Catherines dire need to have a stronger knowledge of English.
Using Environmental theatre, the plays director might intend to set this scene out as follows: Black box theatre would be used as illustrated above; with the audience space wrapping the performers who share the same level. This would give the audience a chance to pear across to opposite sides of their fellow spectators; concentrating to understand what is happening between them. The small free space in the centre of the crowd would be incredible dim before Princess Catherine and the old gentlewoman enter. As they enter, the lights brighten and the scene begins: As the scene begins, the audience will realise soon enough that it is spoken, fully, in French. However, as Catherine begins to slowly fathom English, the audience can understand what it is that they had been witnessing. At the moment that Alice reveals an English word for Catherine to learn she would point at the apart of the body shed been trying to explain in the foreign tongue. The audience, most probably lost from lack of knowledge concerning the French language, would be forced to search for clues as to what they are watching; looking from actor/actress to member of the audience, and then back to the actor/actress. For example, if Alice mentions elbow, then she would simply gesture towards her elbow. This process would continue throughout the learning Catherine undertook.
One by one the individuals of the crowd will slowly understand what the two women are discussing. Like an infectious flu, the understandings would spread throughout the audience until all shares the same view. In addition to this, the performing platform would slowly grow brighter after one of the body parts is revealed, symbolizing that Catherine slowly absorbs the words shed been taught.
Another scene that could be used as an example towards environmental theatre can be found in act five, scene two; this scene takes place in the French palace where one finds King Henry and his court greeting the nobles of France, Princess Catherine and the King and Queen of France. Within the scene, the queen hopes to urge her company that love is the topic of conversation; not of war. Following a long speech about the merits of peace by the duke of Burgundy, King Henry argues that peace can only become possible if his demands are met. Henry then appoints a small crowd to confer the conditions put forward to the King of France. Princess Catherine and King Henry, sustained in privacy, stray from the diplomacy as they take up in a sensual love scene and discussion. Suddenly the French king, followed by his advisers, re-enter. Heavy bantering is exchanged between the Duke of Burgundy and King Henry over Catharine, who begins to blush. Henry, ignoring the situation, asks if Kate to become his wife. The marriage becomes one of the agreements that would have to be met before any of the aspects of the treaty can even be discussed. The King of France agrees to the marriage, bearing in mind that Kate will have to bear sons for the King, so that they may rule England and France. Sealing the agreement by kissing Kate in front of all, Henry demands for the marriage to be prepared immediately.
This scene was concerned, mostly, with diplomatic values and insatiable greed of the King of England, Henry V. The audience would be close to the action as it took place; watching the actors expressions and feeling the heat of the mediation. As all the characters enter for the beginning of the scene, immediately due to the closeness of the performance, the audience will feel the strain. The king of England meeting his victim, the King of France, his loyal subjects, Queen and wife, and the Princess Catherine, excretes pride and arrogance. To symbolize Henrys smugness, he could begin to stride amongst the audience with chin held high; not facing his victims. When Henry is left with Catherine alone, she should prove to be shy; pacing from Henry with each intimate gesture made, moving along the border of the performance platform, inches from the audience. When the King of France returns, all characters on the platform would be best spreading out, filling the space and thus creating a sense of surrender. Once the marriage has been accepted and its preparations go underway Henry is the first to exit, along side his newly appointed fianc followed lately by the remainder of those still on stage.
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