PRESENTED as one of the countrywide events celebrating the 600th anniversary of Agincourt, Stewart Trotter’s seamless adaptation of four plays (one anonymous and three by Shakespeare) all chronicling the life of Prince Harry and his accession to the throne as Henry V, was clearly a labour of love, and one which Titchfield Festival Theatre (TFT) made the most of in director Kris Refevan’s traditional staging at The Great Barn, Titchfield.

On his impressive TFT debut, Chris Mills’ Prince Harry started out with the brashness of youth, drinking and whoring in the company of Kevin Fraser’s dissolute Falstaff, growing into a warrior king leading his troops into battle, while still finding time to woo the French Princess Katherine (another notable Titchfield debut by Lara Cooper-Chadwick).

As the rebellious Harry Hotspur, Joshua Coates turned in another fine performance, and with live period music throughout, the icing on the cake was Stewart Trotter’s own enjoyably clear narration as The Chorus”.

ED HOWSON