ACT 4 PROLOGUE

"Now entertain conjecture of a time, when creeping murmur and the pouring dark, fills the wide vessel of the universe." Now use your imagination to conjure up murmurs and darkness that engulfs the wide universe. "From camp to camp, through the foul womb of the night, the hum of either army stilly sounds, that the fixed sentinels almost receive, the secret whispers of each others watch."  From camp to camp in the darkness of the night, the armies are so quite that those left standing believe they can almost hear the other camp's whispers. "Fire answers fire, and through their paly flames, each battle sees the other's umbered face" Fires are lit on each side, and through their flames, each army thinks they can see the face of the other. "Steed threatens steed in high and boastful neighs, piercing the night's dull ear." The horses of each army answers the other's loud and boastful neighs, interrupting the silence of the night. "The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll, and the third hour of drowsy morning named." It's a drowsy morning at 3am. "Proud of their numbers and secure in soul, the confident and overlusty French do the low rated English play at dice."  The confident and proud French play dice, betting on how many English they would capture. "Chide the cripple tardy-gaited night, who like a foul and ugly witch doth limp so tediously away." They scold the slowly moving night, taking so long to pass. "Upon his royal face there is no note, how dread an army hath en rounded him, nor doth he dedicate one jut of colour unto the weary and all watched night. But freshly looks overbears attaint with cheerful semblance and sweet majesty that every wretch pining and pale before, beholding him, plucks comfort from his looks. A largeless universal like sun." There is no evidence of the mighty army he is surrounded by in his expression, nor has the night robbed any colour from his looks. His face is fresh and cheerful, that every sad wretch takes comfort when they see him. "Where - O - for pity, we shall much disgrace, with four or five most vile and ragged foils right ill disposed in brawl ridiculous. The name of Agincourt."  To the battle we must go where we will represent with four or five of our most worn out fencing foils, a travesty of a battle that disgraces the name of Agincourt.

I really like how descriptive this prologue is, it really visually sets the scene rather than just narrate what's happening, like previous prologues. It conjures up really powerful images that I like playing with vocally to ensure that they're presented in a way that the audience can also imagine them through our words. However, we have to put extra effort into projection as the set is being moved around us and we have sound effects on top of us that added together can be quite loud and it's extremely important that we're heard.