© 2026 The Couch Critic
"Ivo van Hove merges William Shakespeare's plays Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III into one explosive performance about leadership."
In Kings of War, director Ivo van Hove focuses on political leadership. The original texts were retranslated by Rob Klinkenberg and then thoroughly adapted: the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and the Rose Wars between the houses of Lancaster and York for the English throne, which are emphatically present as a historical context in the original pieces, were referred to the background in the adaptation in order to accommodate a varied portrait of successive kings. As leaders in times of political instability and war, they show remarkable affinities with world leaders today.
14 Cast Members
Ramsey Nasr
Henry V, Richmond
Eelco Smits
Grey, Henry VI
Hans Kesting
Richard III
Hugo Koolschijn
Charles VI, Warwick, Stanley
Aus Greidanus Jr.
Gloucester, Buckingham
Alwin Pulinckx
Exeter, Prince of Wales
Bart Slegers
Chief of Staff, York, Edward IV
Chris Nietvelt
Montjoy, Leonora, Elizabeth
Gijs Scholten van Aschat
Cardinal, Rivers
Harm Duco Schut
Williams, Prince Edward, Prince of York
Ilke Paddenburg
Katharina, Lady Anne
Celia Nufaar
Duchess of York
Jip van den Dool
Dauphin, Suffolk, Clarence
Janni Goslinga
Margareta
