Tabard Production Asks were 'We Few' Actually that Happy

Shakespeare's Henry V re-examined through two one-person plays


Gareth David-Lloyd in rehearsal. Picture: Gareth David-Lloyd

August 11, 2024

A forthcoming production at the Tabard Theatre in Chiswick uses Shakespeare’s Henry V as a framework to explore themes of coming of age, grief, war, conscription and PTSD.

Written by Peter Mottley in the eighties, Before Nell / After Agincourt is a double bill of one person plays being staged from 27 – 31 August.

Before Nell is told through the eyes of a boy actor preparing to take the stage as Nell Quickly AKA Madame Pistol in the first ever production of Henry V. It aims to present an insight into the hardships and social dynamics of the time whilst drawing comparisons with life today.

After Agincourt unlike Before Nell, is set within the time period covered by Shakespeare’s history plays and centres on the character of Pistol. Drunk, bitter and alone in the Boars Head Tavern, Eastcheap, he recounts to his fellow drinkers the English invasion of France in 1415. It’s been seven years since Agincourt and he’s still suffering. In modern vernacular he details the campaign of bloody battles and sieges that have been indelibly etched into his very being.

Before Nell stars Felix Uff as the Boy Actor and After Agincourt stars Gareth David-Lloyd as Pistol. The plays are directed by BAFTA nominated Paul Olding in a The Crooked Billets Theatre Company production.

It was during the shoot of Royal Autopsy: Henry IV for Sky History in 2023 that Gareth and Felix first considered reviving these plays which, besides a reading of After Agincourt on Radio 3 by Bob Hoskins over thirty years ago, they felt had never been given their fair due. Gareth, who is best known for his role as Ianto in the BBC series Torchwood and his voice performance in the video game Baldur’s Gate, had performed both plays back-to-back in Whitchurch village Hall when he was fresh out of drama school in 2000 but was far too young for the role of Pistol at the time.

Before Nell / After Agincourt plays at the Theatre at the Tabard from Tuesday 27 August to Saturday 31 August with performances at 7.30pm except Saturday which is at 6pm.

It runs for around 2 hours with a fifteen-minute interval between the two plays. Tickets cost £24.50 or £21.50 for concessions and can be booked online or by calling the box office on 020 8995 6035.

Full schedule and tickets.

Coming up at the Tabard

Theatre at the Tabard is at 2 Bath Road, Chiswick (W4 1LW).

 

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More

This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism.

Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets.

We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more.

However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do.

We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area.

A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site.

One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute.

If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor.

For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.