English People Killing Foreigners at Soho Theatre Review
Written by Becky for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings: Racism, xenophobia, anitsemitism, misgendering
After a hugely successful run at Camden People’s Theatre, Realfake Theatre presents English Kings Killing Foreigners at Soho Theatre. Simultaneously laugh out loud and thought provoking, the deconstruction of Shakespeare’s Henry V is a bold exploration of cultural identity in the context of theatre while bringing the current national identity issues surrounding England to the centre stage.
Cast in a new staging of Henry V, actors Nina and Philip meet outside the rehearsal studio. When the white national sweetheart playing Henry dies, they’re both up for the role, where they have to confront what it means to be cast as an English King, and if their cultural identity has any impact on the classic Shakespearean text. The narrative is uncomfortably timely, with the rising nationalist movement of the far-right. One of Nina and Phil’s first conversations is their disagreement over the staging of Henry V, which their eccentric director has chosen to set to the backdrop of a kebab shop with St George’s flags draping out of it, a direct comment on the visible demonstrations of England flags being used as a symbol of anti-immigration protest.
As the narrative progresses, the exploration of Henry V becomes more aligned with the present day. A notable moment includes the switching contexts of the famous “All the youth of England are on fire” prologue for Act 2 of Henry V, where they explore swapping the original English and French identities in the play to bring awareness of the violence that is happening across the world today. This ultimately raises questions as to how theatre can reimagine old and inaccessible texts like Henry V to connect with wider audiences.
The whole show is very cleverly devised by Bowers and Arditti, who take you on a journey which stems from their experiences as actors on a production of Henry V. They begin by introducing the concept to the audience, inviting gentle participation that sets the course of the narrative. Nina and Phil audition in front of the audience, who decide who plays the King and the Foreigner, with the audience’s choice deciding how the rest of the performance takes hold. The meta construction of the show provided an excellent pace, with clear separations between each act and house lights being turned on when Nina and Phil choose to directly address the audience.
While presenting distressing themes, English Kings Killing Foreigners is a genuine comedy that is punchy, witty and full of silliness. Arditti plays the passionate and ‘by the books’ actor hilariously. A particularly funny moment is his commitment to using drama school breathing techniques to help Nina with her panic attack. Some of the moments that Bowers and Arditti created were ticklishly absurd, adding a unique freshness.
Performing at Soho Theatre until 18th October, English Kings Killing Foreigners is a thoroughly entertaining and an enlightening watch, with the concept being one which could be endlessly explored.
★★★★
