The New York Times
- Recommended
"Mr. Hassell's Hal pivots convincingly from errant playboy to determined warrior, and ultimately, of course, to an inspiring Henry V...After many hours of discord and strife, the final scene of 'Henry V' lands with particular grace...Mr. Hassell and Jennifer Kirby's tangle-tongued flirtation tugs joyfully at the heart...As the cycle comes to an end, we witness another king making the same descent not in resignation but with gallantry and pure youthful pleasure."
Hollywood Reporter
- Recommended
"Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Gregory Doran's staging of 'Richard II' is most notable for the supple playfulness of David Tennant's performance...The U.S. stage debut of the brilliant Scottish actor doesn't disappoint...Not every aspect of the production is as sharp...The women are also weak, not helped by a drama that already marginalizes them...But the commandingly eccentric center of the production is Tennant."
Vulture
- Somewhat Recommended
"The installments pull too hard in different directions. Especially in the 'Henry IV' pair, which are probably the most popular of the bunch, the chaos of tone and genre uses up so much of the director's energy that not much of the material makes an emotional impression. This even though Antony Sher shines as a commanding, endlessly listenable, and visually perfect Falstaff. Still, the more pointed the comedy, the less everything else makes sense."
Entertainment Weekly
- Highly Recommended
"The best draw of the RSC's 'King and Country' cycle is an actor named Alex Hassell, who stars as the wayward, ne'er-do-well prince in 'Henry IV' and an unexpectedly strong king in Henry V...'Henry V' is the one to see...In 'Henry V' alone, once you watch him motivating his troops in a tear-inducing 'band of brothers' speech and win the heart of Princess Katherine, you'll be ready to follow 'this star of England' just about anywhere."
Newsday
- Recommended
"I was able to see 'Henry IV, Part I,' with the masterly Antony Sher unrecognizable as a fuzzy, red-faced, debauched yet self-assured mountain of a Falstaff...The productions I saw are exhilarating-played without gimmick and with an exquisitely trained company. For all the beauty of the language, the actors never let studied artifice take the place of lucidity, psychological nuance and roaring action...Alex Hassell persuasively conveys lusty, boyish rebellion and future maturity as Prince Hal."
amNY
- Highly Recommended
"Meant for those who like to see Shakespeare plays performed by a seasoned cast, in a traditional style, with lavish production values and without any cuts to the text...Gregory Doran (artistic director of the RSC) stages the entire cycle with liveliness, medieval flair and textual clarity, bringing out multilayered performances from his large cast, many of whom appear in multiple plays."
Time Out New York
- Highly Recommended
"Superbly mounted by the Royal Shakespeare Company under the firm, intelligent (and often funny) direction of Gregory Doran...Handsome and slyly charismatic, Hassell crafts the most complex, coherent Prince Hal I've ever seen, a privileged bully and sullen subject all at once."
CurtainUp
- Highly Recommended
"If you typically don't count 'Henry V' as one of your favorite Shakespeare plays, this production might change your perspective...And even if you have heard the famous Crispian speech a thousand times before, Hassell gives it a fresh spin here, and only a stone would turn a deaf ear to its stirring poetry...Hassell's acting is flawless in this play. And when it comes to pure acting stamina, nobody is his match in this Henriad."
TheaterMania
- Highly Recommended
"As Hassell assumes the role of the most triumphant king in the Shakespeare canon, he never allows us to lose sight of the charming rapscallion we first met in Part 1. Rather, he uses those skills he honed in the tavern in his new position, especially during a delightful scene in which he woos Princess Katherine...The Henriad is an astounding and sweeping tale, brought to glorious life by the careful work of Doran. Catch it while it lasts."
OffOffOnline
- Highly Recommended
"Gregory Doran's production of 'Richard II' is a thunderous start to 'King and Country'...'Richard II' is all verse, and is spoken commandingly here..Any quibbles are minor...Overall, though, Doran has created this 14th-century Shakespearean world with great precision, attending not just to Tennant's towering performance, but to tiny moments...This 'Richard II' is curtain raiser to what promises to be a landmark visit."
