Entertainment

Theatre releases first look at Kit Harington as Henry V

The Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden is running the play until April 9.
The Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden is running the play until April 9. The Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden is running the play until April 9.

The Donmar Warehouse has released the first images of Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington playing Henry V at the theatre in Covent Garden, London.

Harington, best known for playing Jon Snow in HBO’s popular fantasy series, is leading a cast of actors in a “modern” production of the Shakespearean classic.

In a recent interview with the Guardian, Harington admitted there is a part of him that tries to escape the Game Of Thrones comparison when performing as the former King of England.

Kit Harington
Kit Harington Kit Harington in Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse (Helen Murray/PA) (Helen Murray)

“There’s an element of me always trying to get away from that comparison, but at the same time, you’re not going to, so why try?

“A large portion of the audience coming to this will be fans of that show, and that’s a great thing,” he said.

Harington, who has struggled with alcohol addiction and depression in the past, added that the play became more personal than he was expecting and it has been a way of “exorcising demons”.

Kit Harington
Kit Harington Kit Harington leads the cast in the ‘modern’ production of a Shakespearean classic (Helen Murray/PA) (Helen Murray)

The 35-year-old is starring alongside Gangs Of London actor Jude Akuwudike, Line Of Duty’s Claire-Louise Cordwell and Melissa Johns – who appears in BBC One drama Life.

The stage production – described as a study of nationalism, war and the psychology of power – is directed by Donmar associate director Max Webster.

The Donmar Warehouse in London welcomed back patrons last September for the first time since the first national lockdown.

Kit Harington
Kit Harington Kit Harington stars alongside Jude Akuwudike, Claire-Louise Cordwell and Melissa Johns (Helen Murray/PA) (Helen Murray)

It has undergone renovation work to significantly improve the venue’s accessibility, the theatre previously announced.

The play, which explores England’s relationship with Europe, is running until April 9.