24 | September 12, 2013 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News

Graham Butler,

“I’m certain my luck is about to runout so I should probably do somerubbish telly or something.”

AT 26-years-old, parts likeHenry VI just don’t tend tomaterialise. Well, that’s what

Graham Butler had convincedhimself, until it turned out he waswrong.

The Lancashire born lad is takingon the title role in The Globe’stouring production of Shakespeare’stense three-parter, Henry VI, at theCambridge Arts Theatre next week –and it seems rather serendipitous.

“It’s quite a weird one,” he admits,detailing how Henry’s famous molehill speech in Part III was whatGraham used to wrangle his way intodrama school and performed on theOlivier stage as part of a NationalTheatre award. Now he’s happilynailing the role on a nightly basis: “Ithink it will remain a career highlightfor quite some time – it’d take a lot totop it.”

Born in Rosendale near Burnley(“It’s a bit of a no-man’s land, abit of a wasteland of culture,”),Graham’s parents weren’t particularlyartistic but, “being in that culturalwasteland, being in these jobs theydidn’t particularly love too much,were very enthusiastic that me andmy siblings do whatever we wantedto. Not in a crazy 1970s hippie way!

“I think I just saw my mum beingreally bored coming home from workevery day, and they were always

very encouraging ofthe arts, even justin simple ways likereading to us at nightwhich always seemedlike a natural thingsparents did but noteveryone does do it. We were quitelucky in that respect.”

As a result, he became an actorand his brothers similarly carved outniches in the arts; one’s a directorand the other’s a writer. Grahamstill remembers the first time theyencountered Shakespeare thanks totheir grandparents – a “really silly,farcical, Mr Bean like production”of Comedy of Errors. Then theywent home and re-enacted it in thegarden.

It must have been good practice,as Henry VI is a tough role to master.

“I think he’s the most beautiful,wonderful, innocent man – possiblythe most pure, beautiful characterShakespeare ever wrote,” Grahamenthuses. “Obviously that doesn’texplain all his faults which aremanifold. Henry in his life, certainlyin Shakespeare’s version, gets a lotwrong. He’s not a great king but notfor want of trying.

“He was incredibly pious, he justwanted peace and harmony and hepreaches about love a great deal, loveand peace.

may not get the king bit right, but hecertainly, definitely gets the humanbeing bit right.”

Although it was planned morethan two years ago, the tour hasluckily coincided with the currentobsession for all things York andLancaster. From the historicalfurore surrounding the digging upof Richard III’s deformed skeletonat a car park in Leicester (the battlestill rages on regarding where themonarch should be reburied), to theBBC’s lusty adaptation of PhilippaGregory’s The White Queen series.

“I think quite simply it’s justbecause it’s about time,” Grahammuses when asked if he can explainthe sudden interest. “When you’reyoung it seems like English historystarts with the Tudors, and this is,as these plays demonstrate, one ofthe most interesting periods of ourhistory, and yet, perhaps because it isso complicated, people change sidesevery couple of years historically, orin the plays, every couple of scenes,it’s wildly complex. But it’s absolutely

necessarythat we know about it.

“So if that means The White Queen,which is based on fact but is stilljust fiction really, if that gives peoplesome insight into what happenedin the period, then it’s definitely,definitely worthwhile.”

Packed with grisly violence, tornrulers, bloody battles and rebelsseeking justice and retribution, youcan see why it’s strange it’s a segmentof history that hasn’t earned equalbilling with Henry VIII’s gaggle ofwives. It’s also a wonder – whatwith all the swordplay – that, sofar, the cast has managed to avoiddecapitating one another.

“There have been a couple of littleinjuries. Yet nowhere near as manyas you’d think,” Graham says wryly.“The actors are so committed todoing [the fight scenes] quickly andproperly, they don’t let up. If it’s beenraining outside, they’re not going toslow down for anyone, so I think it’sremarkable that everyone is basicallyintact.”

We were quite “Hemay not get the king bit right, but he necessary

Theatre

Henry VI:

HIGH DRAMA: Beatriz Romilly as Joan of Arc,Andrew Sheridan as Lord Talbot and Graham Butleras King Henry VI, this picture and left

Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | September 12, 2013 | 25

It’s taken two years to trim down andtransform Shakespeare’s original texts intoThe Globe’s current version. Director NickBagnall recently said that in terms of actionhe and co-editor Dave Hartley have “got ridof all of the chit-chat and gone straight tothe bone.”

Graham agrees: “Part II running at fulllength would be about four hours, we’ve gotrid of 50 per cent of it almost, and I totallysee that as a good thing.”

“It was a worry to begin with, thatpeople might have accused us ofbastardising this great text butactually, when people see them, Ithink they understand why it’s beendone,” he admits, before laughing.“They’re very early plays and youcan definitely see that Shakespeare isfinding his feet, finding his way – andhe does go on a bit.”

As a result, you are left with the rawbones without losing any of the original’sbeauty. “It feels like you’re watching threebrilliant, tight action thrillers,” Grahambuzzes. “Shakespeare ends them on thesegreat cliff-hangers every time. You can’tavoid the fact it’s EastEnders orsomething. There’s a bit ofGodfather in there, there areall these weird, early mafiatype families, and I think interms of pure entertainment,

you get straight to the action,none of the story is lost,they are very taught, tightand tense.”

In a troupe of 14 Grahamis the only actor in all threeparts that only plays onecharacter. The rest tumblein and out of multipleroles,whip

costumes on and off and leap in and outof scene as they span 50 years of English

history. Garry Cooper, who’s main roleis Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, atone point plays four characters in asingle scene. “It’s quite a feat,” saysGraham. “Nick lets the audience see the

mechanics of theatre, there’s no pretencethat this is another actor coming on, we

know they’re the same people and there’squite a joy in that.”

And some of the characters are justdream roles; there’s the brazen,

formidable Joan of Arc in partI, the rascally rebel leaderand throat slitter Jack Cadein part II, and, of course,Richard III in part III. It’simpressive; what’s more

impressive is that the castregularly performs allthree parts exhaustinglyback-to-back. The onlything more mental thanthat, is sticking it out asan audience member,

cagoule clad in three pairsof socks on a rain soaked

battlefield (fortunatelyyou’ll be able to see all

threepartsin the

cosy Arts Theatre auditorium instead).“At least we go off to sit in a tent back

stage and have a cup of tea or something,but these audience members are out therefor 12 hours in the rain,” Graham says,grateful but bemused. “We might be a bittired and we keep running on and gettingour costumes wet and everyone’s whingeinga bit, but the audience are sitting there inthe freezing cold. That energy the audiencebrings is what I think sees us through thosethree plays.”

He reckons the third part is usuallythe most loved: “It’s doomy and gloomy;everyone’s basically meeting a horrible,sticky end,” but it’s not his favourite: “PartII is my favourite I think, just because it’s soanarchic and strange, it’s almost absurdist.It’s like [Shakespeare] strung loads ofdifferent scenes, loads of different ideas andjust drove them all in, and somehow they’veall melded together and made a completething. But I really just feel they are just threeepisodes of one piece now.”

So how will he top this experience? “I’vebeen doing a lot of theatre for the last fouryears so I’ve had a great run, I’ve lovedeverything I’ve done, so I’m certain my luckis about to run out so I should probably dosome rubbish telly or something for a while,just so I can’t be disappointed.”

� Henry VI: Three plays, Cambridge Arts Theatre. Tickets £15-£27 from (01223) 503333 / cambridgeartstheatre.purchase-tickets-online.co.uk� Part I: Harry the Sixth, Tuesday, September 17 at 7.45pm / Saturday, September 21 at 12.30pm� Part II: The House of York and Lancaster, Wednesday, September 18 at 7.45pm / Saturday, September 21 at 4pm� Part III: The True Tragedy of the Duke of York, Thursday, September 19 – Saturday, September 21 at 7.45pm

With Richard III’s corpse recentlydiscovered under a car park and the BBClustily drowning in tantrums, subterfugeand historical drama in The WhiteQueen, the Houses of Lancaster andYork are definitely on the agenda at themoment. ELLA WALKER catches up withGraham Butler, aka The Globe’s latestincarnation of Henry VI, ahead of astripped back run at the Cambridge

HENRY VI: THE HOUSES OFYORK AND LANCASTERThursday, September 19 at 4pm, bestavailable seats for just £15.Please call the Box Office on 01223503333 to book.Offer is subject to availability, termsand conditions to apply. QuoteCambridge News. Tickets are subjectto a £2.50 booking fee. Cannot beused in conjunction with any otheroffer.

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STRAIGHT TO THEBONE: Simon Harrisonas Richard of Gloucesterand, left, Patrick Myles asKing Edward IV

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