This year’s group of Papplewick Players, comprising year 7 and year 8 boys, put on William Shakespeare’s Henry V, a swashbuckling romp through 15th century Normandy that culminated in the Battle of Agincourt, an epic clash and an English victory that still resonates today.
Raphael Shires played the lead role with understated aplomb and successfully captured the shrewd and determined character of the English King. The cast of 24, resplendent in period costume, tread the boards – a simple stage with Gothic flats – with great enthusiasm, and were nigh on word perfect, reciting their difficult lines in true Shakespearean fashion.
Headmaster Tom Bunbury said: “It was wonderful to see the boys approach the play with such energy – they did a great job.”