The Old Vic in London announces the first four productions in Rupert Goold’s inaugural season as artistic director, including Damian Lewis starring as Henry V and Milly Alcock taking the title role in Julie. Arinzé Kene is also set to appear in the season, which begins with Goold’s new staging of Shakespeare’s history play.
The outlets agree that the season is framed as a fresh start for the theatre under Goold, with emphasis on major casting and the pairing of Shakespeare and a contemporary reworking of Strindberg. The Guardian specifically describes the Henry V production as “provocative,” saying it challenges ideas about leadership and legend. Deadline adds that Julie is a contemporary adaptation of Strindberg’s Miss Julie.
Elsewhere, coverage largely reiterates the same core programme details—Lewis in Henry V, Alcock in Julie, and the fact that these shows are part of the first four planned for the Old Vic’s new artistic directorship—without adding further interpretation or additional context about the productions’ approach.
