Henry VIII

Shakespeare's late-career drama—considered by many to have been a collaboration with John Fletcher—is best known for the 1613 performance during which the firing of a cannon set the Globe Theatre ablaze and destroyed it. Unfortunately, this 2010 mounting at the restored venue strikes no comparable dramatic spark. To be sure, the play itself is much to blame. Despite snatches of noble verse, much of the writing is pedestrian, while the palace machinations that lead to the downfall of Buckingham, Wolsey, and Queen Katherine as a result of the king's suspicions and his desire for a male heir make for a rather episodic narrative. Also unsavory is the propagandistic tone, especially in the final speech of Archbishop Cranmer prophesying the future glory of Elizabeth's reign. Still, the play deserves better than Mark Rosenblatt's rushed, perfunctory staging here. The director's overuse of puppets would be problematic were it not for the fact that the human actors aren't very charismatic. Dominic Rowan cuts a stalwart figure in the title role but exhibits none of the magnetism that Charles Laughton, Robert Shaw, and Richard Burton brought to the regal figure onscreen. Ian McNeice is a surprisingly bland Wolsey, while Kate Duchêne's Katherine engages in great bursts of emotion but affects a thick Spanish accent that often obscures her words. And while the costumes are ornate, the spare set underwhelms. Still, this does offer viewers an opportunity to see a Shakespearean rarity, making it a strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)