Band of zombie brothers: The Life and Undead of King Henry V

It’s impossible to say what’s more surprising about Big Idea Theatre’s Shakespeare with zombies: That it makes sense; that it is made up entirely of the Bard’s words; that the story is a moving and realistic tale of Prince Hal’s movement from roguish adolescent to committed and determined King Henry V; that the zombies actually serve a purpose in the story; or that Brian Harrower has brought it all together in less than an hour and a half.

One thing’s for damn sure, though: It’s freaking awesome, and any eighth grader who sees it will never, ever again say Shakespeare’s boring.

Harrower, Big Idea’s artistic director, has previously demonstrated his skill with doing stage cuts of Shakespeare, but he’s outdone himself this time. The Life and Undead of King Henry V is taken from four canonical plays that all deal with the same historical period: Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V. Harrower’s artifice is to suggest that Henry IV’s act of usurping the throne by deposing Richard II—thus disrupting the divine right of kings and upending God’s order—has unleashed the zombie apocalypse.

And what a glorious thing it is! Add relative newcomer Ryan Snyder as Prince Hal (later Henry V) in a dynamic portrayal and the outstanding Jeffrey Lloyd Heatherly as the best Falstaff, dead or living, we’ve seen recently, and you’ve got traditional theater that’s bloody fine—and just plain bloody, when the zombie hordes descend. An excellent cast—and much larger than usual at Big Idea—includes a number of good performances, including Denver Skye Vaughn as Poins (who puts a new spin on Prince Hal’s relationship with the cutpurse) and Justin D. Muñoz as a hilarious cowboy Pistol—which makes perfect sense, now, doesn’t it?

This is outrageously, apocalyptically good. Do not miss it, though the graves open and Armageddon come.