Theatre / insane root
Insane Root bring Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ to Temple Church this summer
Three years on from the success of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was held in the evocative surroundings of Eastville Park’s Old Swimming Pool back in the summer of 2022, the award-winning Insane Root are set for a historic return with Henry V.
This time, the Bristol-based masters of site-specific outdoor immersive theatre will be bringing one of Shakespeare’s beloved history plays to life at the bombed-out Temple Church.
The 14th century site reopened to the public in 2023 following a 30-year closure, thanks to an English Heritage restoration project. Dating back to the Knights Templar, it is an often-overlooked medieval ruin that is emblematic of the play’s themes of resilience, conflict and renewal.
is needed now More than ever
In a stark counter-point to the Bard’s original play, this adaption of Henry V (by Craig Fuller, Justin Palmer and Natalie Simone, who also directs) features an all-female and non-binary cast and creative team.
In the company’s words, it will seek to “celebrate female strength and leadership, inspiring a new generation of theatre-makers while attracting diverse audiences passionate about heritage and innovative storytelling”.
The drama will unfold all around and amongst the audience, replete with site-responsive design, and original composition and music from Ellian Showering, whose previous collaborations with Insane Root over many years include Macbeth, The Tempest and Hansel & Gretel.
For each of their many projects, the company have focused on deepening local community ties around their chosen sites, and this production is no different – harnessing the ability of the arts to unite and inspire, as well as bringing footfall to the area and a welcome boost to local hospitality and retail businesses.
With funding support from The Nisbet Trust, co-development from English Heritage and Redcliffe & Temple BID and in partnership with St. Mungo’s, 1625 Independent People, Redcliffe’s Faithspace and St. Mary Redcliffe Church Hub, an extensive summer programme of 20+ daytime and evening activities will enhance opportunities for Bristolians to rediscover this largely unknown space in the centre of their city.
The hope is that from free accessible drama and art sessions to theatre scratch nights, yoga workshops and history tours, there will be something to suit a wide range of interests.
With rehearsals for Henry V well underway, Natalie Simone and Justin Palmer shared their insights with Bristol24/7 on how the play is taking shape, and what first drew the company to Temple Church as a potential venue.
Temple Church
Weeks away from the start of what is a fairly substantial run, can you describe the preparations for Henry V?
NS: “As we move closer to opening, our preparations have entered a really exciting phase. Together with our designer, Alice Sales, I’ve been shaping a visual world that honours the site’s historical legacy while bringing the story to life in a way that’s engaging for today’s audience. We’re not just staging the play; we’re inhabiting the space and discovering how it can help us tell this epic story. We’ve also spent time digging into the historical context of the play — both Shakespeare’s source material and the real events of the Battle of Agincourt.”
How long has Henry V been on the Insane Root wishlist, and why did you decide the time was right to adapt it?
JP: “Henry V has been on Insane Root’s wishlist for quite a while! Hannah Drake (Co-Founder) and I had always liked the play, but felt that we didn’t want to do a celebration pageant version of it, which some previous productions have been. We wanted a more forensic analysis of Henry and his actions, much like how we had made Macbeth in Redcliffe Caves. As with all of our work the location is the key ingredient that comes first in every production we create, the main character if you will, and so we pride ourselves on being patient with finding the right space and not rushing things.
“In 2022 after our last show, A Midsummer Night’s Dream had finished at Eastville Park, Ed McGregor from English Heritage kindly invited us to have a look at Temple Church as a potential performance site. We had worked with Ed on one of our previous productions, The Tempest at St. John on the Wall’s Crypt, so he knew what he was up against!
“We had looked to produce the show for summer 2024 but sadly the funding was not there to create what we wanted. In 2025 after fantastic support from a wonderful blend of local and national funders including Redcliffe & Temple BID and Arts Council England, not to mention significant support by our followers, we finally had enough to make this project happen.”
How did you cast this adaptation?
NS: “After adapting the script, it quickly became clear that this would be fast paced, ensemble piece. We’ve cast seven brilliant performers, each with a real flair for multi-rolling and the ability to shift effortlessly between roles. Most actors are playing between five and nine characters which is a demanding task, but this cast brings an incredible sense of play. As far as I know, Henry V has never been performed with an ensemble of this size, and that makes for an exciting challenge.”
This will represent the first production Insane Root have mounted without the involvement of your co-founder, Hannah Drake. How different does it feel?
JP: “Thanks for asking! Hannah has been a huge loss for me in so many ways. From the beginning of Insane Root we have always had similar values, views on Shakespeare and the love of a theatrical challenge! Even before we got the go ahead for Henry V this year though, I knew that I would be managing the first Insane Root production without her, so for quite a while I have been assembling a wonderful female and non-binary team to support me achieve another excellent show.
“One big constant for Insane Root is our multi-talented Composer and Musical Director, Ellian Showering who has been making beautiful music for our shows since the beginning. I am also so excited to be working with one of the best theatre directors to watch at the moment, Natalie Simone, who like Hannah is a Bristol Old Vic-trained director and has a brilliant understanding of Shakespeare outdoors. I am really looking forward to seeing what new perspectives and flavours an all-female and non-binary team can create on this bold retelling of Henry V!”
What are you most excited about, in terms of attracting audiences who might be discovering the play for the first time?
NS: “I’m genuinely excited for audiences to experience this story through the voices of women and non-binary performers — voices historically excluded from both the stage and the battlefield. With just seven actors, supported by original music and movement, our reimagining brings a fresh, contemporary energy to this history play. At a time when our relationship with national pride and identity is changing, I hope audiences connect deeply with the humanity, vulnerability, and inner struggles of these characters, who are often seen as far removed from everyday life. It doesn’t matter if audiences are familiar with Shakespeare’s other history plays, this play stands alone.”
You have put on productions in some very memorable locations over the years. What stood out about Temple Church in particular as the ideal setting for one of Shakespeare’s most famous history plays?
JP: “When you walk into Temple Church there is an instant sense of epicness and scale, and for me you can feel the grandeur of the walls and architecture which transport you back to even before Henry V was alive. On the floor in stone circles amongst the grass is the footprint of one of the original Knights Templar circular churches, which stood before the current Temple Church itself.
“All of our shows seek to find the resonance between the layers of history that have existed before in that place and the play we are matching it with, and how that can conjure up a certain magic that you can’t always get inside traditional theatre spaces. One of the other key ingredients within the church is the grass which covers most of the floor space and gives us our fields of Agincourt. Temple Church being bombed in WW2 is a stark physical reminder of the destruction that conflicts can bring and adds even more poignancy for our version of Henry V. We really hope all of our audiences will reflect on this whilst they are watching our war play.”
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Insane Root: Henry V (age recommendation 10+) is at Temple Church from June 19-August 2 at 7.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, 6pm and 8.30pm on Thursday and Friday, and 2.30 and 7.30pm on Saturday (no shows Sunday and Monday).
Tickets are available from www.insaneroot.org.uk, with dynamic pricing and a local resident discount.
The show is a seated, open air performance lasting approximately 1hr 50 minutes, with no interval. Ticket holders are advised to check the clothing and footwear advice, as well as the company’s wet weather policy.
All photos: Jack Offord
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