Harlequin's production revives the set and concept of a '98 run, for which director Scot Whitney pared Shakespeare's cast down to six men and two women. The actors play actors, who spill out of a roadside pageant wagon. (Like Henry himself, the pageant wagon approach was centuries dead when the Bard penned this history, but never mind.) Jason Marr plays Hank; it's a solid portrayal, especially in an underplayed St. Crispin's Day speech. The acting's quite strong throughout, in fact, offering treats like Maggie Lofquist's bilingual princess and Casey Brown as a dauphin who thinks he's a rock star. I tended to conflate Henry's soldiers, who hail from all over the present-day UK, and I'm not sure their accents are any less confused. Happily, though, the battle scenes are excitingly choreographed, and we're able to follow the story from beginning to end. Bruce Whitney's sound design works wonders here, along with his Princess Bride-style synthetic score, by clarifying transitions and adding depth and volume to onstage combat.

Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Henry V in the Music and Culture section.

HENRY V, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Oct. 26, Harlequin Productions, 202 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, $20-$38, 360.786.0151

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