Anne Boleyn

Anyone who was expecting a historical romance, or ‘Nell Gwynn’ type comedy, was in for a surprise. Howard Brenton does not write that sort of play. Humour and irony there was aplenty, but this piece gave huge amounts of food for thought, and demanded considerable concentration on the part of the audience. It was a play I would like to see again and again – if played by such a strong team as the Guildburys.

Themes were many: the subjugation of women; strong women with ambition; the power of elites; how to get to the top, and how fickle power is; religion and the battles of thought between creeds; the importance of faith over one’s own life. All still so relevant in today’s world.

The moveable set, with marvellous linenfold panelling and biblical(?) script, was great for spying eyes and ears to hide behind, or spirits to whisper from. Costumes were excellent – sumptuous gowns for the Royals, ecclesiastical robes for the churchmen, lawyers’ caps, Presbyterian bonnets, these all greatly added to the atmosphere created.

I must praise firstly the casting. Every member of this cast produced excellent characterisation in their roles. Such strong performances from ALL was a delight.

Sarah Gibbons gave a spirited and nuanced performance as Anne Boleyn, and made clear from the very first scene that here was a very strong woman, with a mind of her own. We were intrigued and captured from the start, how would this story (we thought we knew it, after all) unfold? A fine actor, she made Anne very real, very powerful, and we were mesmerised by her.

Tim Brown as King James I bounded onto the stage, larger than life, straight down from Scotland – super accent, was it his real one? – unused to the fine manners and protocol of the London court, intrigued at the discovery in an old chest of both Anne Boleyn’s coronation gown, and a book by the protestant reformer William Tyndale. We were further intrigued. King James proved to be a very determined, strong, thoughtful, intelligent, just and humorous monarch, as he battled to unite the country under one religion, one bible. An excellent performance from Tim.

The play jumps backwards and forwards in time throughout both reigns, and this soon made perfect sense, as the audience came to understand where the play was going.

King Henry VIII was well played by Glyn Rogers, totally and utterly beguiled by the eyes and smile of the witty and teasing Anne, not to mention the sight of her comely ankle!

Eddie Woolrich impressed as Cardinal Wolsey, as did Paul Baverstock as Thomas Cromwell. Fine schemers, great speeches. They both gave us the embodiment of power gained, and of course in Wolsey’s case, power lost. Well played, both.

Graham Russell-Price was a gentle and thoughtful William Tyndale, (with a wonderful Gloucestershire accent), quick-witted and determined, firm in his stance on the illegality of Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, to Anne’s horror.

So many other great performances - too many to single out here, well maybe just a few of them: fine speeches (Tessa Duggleby as Henry Barrow); humorous cameos (Derek Watts and Stuart Morrison as Simpkin and Sloop, ever hungry for their dinner); desperate ladies-in-waiting (especially but not only Claire Racklyeft). All enhanced this complex, provoking piece.

Great direction from Jason Orbaum, whose baby this definitely was. So many small details and nuances, gestures, looks, whisperings, asides. A wonderful challenge directing this demanding play, and he mastered it extremely well indeed.

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