Henry Viii Festival Stage Analysis

The current production run of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII on the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Festival Stage is nothing short of remarkable. The polished acting, stunningly spare set, lush lighting, and opulent costumes come together in a tightly directed performance of a well-cut script to create an effect that is more that of film than theatre. This is no-doubt a welcome change of pace for much of today’s younger audience given its broader exposure to the former rather than the latter. This critique will strive to focus on the production’s lighting design, as I feel it to be the chief reason for the aforementioned film-like aesthetic.

The notion that lighting is an integral part of the production of any piece of theatre is a given. The manner in which it helps to create the overall texture of this particular performance is what elevates is from a mere scenery to a pervasive element. The lighting designer started by filling the entire theatre with a small amount of synthetic fog. This fog was almost imperceptible with the house lights up, seeming to be a very
light haze rather than something denser. It was totally unnoticed in the house itself when the lights were down. On stage, though, the lights managed to catch just enough of this fog to give the entire set a sort of visual grain reminiscent of analog film. Portions of the house were also used as set pieces throughout the production and this effect was noticeable when those areas were lit as well. The conceit was subtle enough not to be distracting but distinct enough to wash the performance and unify the disparate areas occasionally used by the director for the staging of the play.

Color also played a large role in this lighting design.
The set featured a very spare set with a blank, silver scrim serving as the backdrop. This created a blank canvas onto which the designer painted an array of reds, golds, and greens when the play’s characters were at court or engaged in some otherwise royal affair. The reds deepened and became the primary focus among a sea of grays and blacks in the scenes focused on Cardinal Wolsey. Henry’s Privy Council was lit with muted grays as well, with the designer splashing silver onto the set to connote the outdoor evening setting in which much of their conversation took place. The courtship of Henry and Anne Boleyn saw the golds return and mix with greens to create a feeling of warmth and new life. It must be said that this palette was all the more impressive because it managed to be noticeable while never becoming a distraction. It was supremely well
executed.

The twin lighting tools of texture and color were used to perfect effect in this production of Henry VIII. The lighting designer displayed a virtuosity that I have rarely seen matched in this particular theatre. In truth, it defied my expectations and redefined my understanding of how lighting could be used to enhance a production as opposed to simply serving as some sort of backdrop onto which the action unfolded. I would highly recommend this production to anyone able to make the time to see it.