“Right now I'm too young to know
How in the future it will affect me when you go”
One of the most striking moments in Phyllida Lloyd’s recent production of Henry IV for the Donmar Warehouse was Sharon Rooney’s extraordinary take on Lady Percy, skewering previous notions of the character to make her a vibrant and passionate equal to her husband. And as she bade him farewell, a lament struck up to the tune of Glasvegas’ ‘Daddy’s Gone’, capping off a performance provoked as much thought about Shakespearean gender roles as did the overall all-female casting.
It’s a really lovely tune in its own right but this rendition did feel like something special so it was great hear that it has been recorded under the name of Sharon Rooney and the Henrys and it is now available to download from iTunes here. Profits will benefit organisations that the company have been working closely with like Clean Break Theatre Company and Justice for Women, as well as the Donmar's outreach work to help women and girls find their voices, exemplified by the company performing Henry IV at the Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets next week.
It’s a cracking tune enlivened by Rooney's Glaswegian accent, it’s for a cracking set of causes and remember, you don’t want to be the lonely one sitting on your own and sad… Here’s the link again.
Labels: Ann Ogbomo, Ashley McGuire, Blogged, Clare Dunne, Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Chan, Harriet Walter, Jackie Clune, Jade Anouka, Jennifer Joseph, Karen Dunbar, Music, Shakespeare, Sharon Rooney, Shiloh Coke, Zainab Hasan
