Think of Shakespeare’s Henry V, and there’s a good chance that Laurence Olivier’s classic film will flash into mind, complete with battle scenes and stirring score by William Walton. It’s just as well you don’t need such massive forces when staging the original play, or Creation Theatre might find Henry V a bit of a challenge – its new production has a cast of just three actors.

No regiments of soldiers then, but Rhys King, Morgan Philpott, and Christopher York still have 23 parts to play between them, in a production directed by Creation regular Charlotte Conquest. “Charlotte rang me and asked if I’d like to be in Henry V,” Morgan explains, “Although it wasn’t until a month ago that she revealed that I would be playing Henry himself. So that was a nice surprise. But being a three-hander, we’re all mucking in, and playing all sorts of different characters so we get lots of accents and voices. We have all the fun.”

But what about King Henry himself? How does Morgan see him as a character?

“As a young, ambitious man with a sense of how he needs to make his mark as a king. “I think he is a good king: I hear the measure of a good man in his thoughts, and in what he says to his colleagues. “It’s odd to think that today you wouldn’t think of someone who invades another country as a good leader.”

We’re talking just before the day’s rehearsals begin, and grins spread across the faces of the three actors as I suggest that playing 23 parts must mean learning an awful lot of lines.

“I finished another show just before starting on Henry V, so I was a bit behind straightaway,” Chris replies. “I found that you’ve got so much to concentrate on, just learning the different characters as people. But I’m getting there: the other two are off the book [script] already, so I’m pushed by them to be better!”

“I’ve always found Shakespeare the easiest text to learn,” Morgan adds. “Because so much of it is in verse, you can tell by the rhythm of the words if you’ve made a mistake: it just won’t fit. Also, the imagery that he writes is so visual: I can see that imagery in front of me, and that really helps me to learn the words. In addition, we rehearsed in Guildford before we moved to Oxford, and that meant I had three hours’ commute every day: you soon learn your lines if you have to sit on a train.”

So, I ask, did you try out “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more” to carriages full of astonished commuters?

“It was mainly the ticket inspector. He was most perplexed about what was going on. When he arrived, I’d have my headphones on and be half way through delivering a speech.”

Henry V, of course, contains important parts for women – Princess Catherine of France, for instance, wooed in cack-handed fashion by Henry. How is the cast going to deal with the female roles?

“With funny voices!” Rhys replies. “No, seriously, we’ve got the Catherine and Alice scene, which is one of the most famous duologues in Shakespeare. “I’m playing Alice, and I’m taking it on as I would with any other character: I will try and understand her as a lady. “And we will be working hard on correct body language too: we will be wearing corsets, we’re going to look very ravishing!”

Oxford Castle Unlocked (in a marquee if wet) 17 August – 14 September Tickets: 01865 766266 creationtheatre.co.uk