Henry V is a play which wrestles with the subject of nationality and nationalism. The
Rehearsal Diary shows how Director Nicholas Hytner wanted to develop fully-rounded and human characters even for minor roles and to avoid the tendency in some productions to playing to
national stereotypes , in particular of the Welsh and the French. The Welsh
Captain Llewellyn is often played as a
figure of fun, but actor Robert Blythe explains how he tried to give the part emotional depth and complexity with the help of Nicholas Hytner.
A running motif in the play is that the French, though outnumbering the English militarily, are a weak and decadent nation, epitomised by the Court, and in particular the foppish arrogance of the Dauphin. But actor Rupert Wickham suggests Nicholas Hytner was keen to emphasise the
French as a credible opposition to heighten the dramatic tension.
There is a debate within the play about what it means to be English. Adrian Lester who plays King Henry believes part of the enduring strength of the play is that by portraying a band of brothers within an army drawn from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, Shakespeare was creating a great Britain, before there was a
Great Britain .
The casting of a number of black actors, including the lead, Adrian Lester, also has something to say about the role of the National Theatre in reflecting the diversity of contemporary British society. Faz Singhateh who plays the King’s cousin, Lord Westmorland, believes this helps explain the production’s
appeal to young audiences .