|
|
|
|
|
Quality drama that is a joy to watch
Anne (Jo Herbert - centre) and the ladies of Henry VIII's court Anne Boleyn The New Alexandra Theatre ***** THERE is plenty of historical speculation
and conjecture in Howard Brenton's play about Anne Boleyn who literally
lost her head over King Henry VIII. You can dispute and doubt the accuracy but there
is no doubt whatsoever that this is a quality production from English
Touring Theatre - and a considerable feather in the cap of the Alex.
James Garnon excels as James I (James VI of
Scotland just to keep those from north of the border happy) “the wisest
fool in Christendom”. James had a speech impediment and was said to
spit and drool when he spoke but in Garnon's hands the king was
impetuous, with all manner of tics and impediments from Jack Douglas to
catatonic. We saw James and his penchant for male courtiers – his wife
was Anne of Denmark and bore him three children including the future
King, Charles – and his drive to attempt to unify the Church in England,
which resulted in the King James Bible. What, you might ask, has James I got to do with
Anne Boleyn? She was beheaded almost 30 years to the day before James
was born, and born in another country at that.
Brenton uses the arrival of James in London as
the hook, with James searching through an old chest of Anne's daughter,
Elizabeth I and finding a book by William Tyndale. Tyndale was a leading
figure in the reformation, producing a version of the Bible which was
the first to be translated from Greek and Hebrew texts and, more
dangerously for the Roman Catholic Church and establishment, the first
to be printed making it available to all threatening the power and
divinity of the Church. Tyndale was executed for heresy in Brussels in
1536, incidentally, the same year as Anne Boleyn met her fate.
Ironically his Bible, which contributed to his death as a heretic, was
the basis for the James I authorised version which some scholars claim
is more than 80 per cent Tyndale's Bible. Finding the banned book James attempts to
communicate with the ghost of Anne and that brings us to Jo Herbert as a
headstrong, confident and manipulative Boleyn. She was seen as a leading figure in the
Reformation, a protestant influenced by Martin Luther and no doubt
Tyndale although, despite her two meetings in the play, there is no
record of her ever seeing or speaking to Tyndale, played with dour,
puritanical dullness by Tim Frances. Her refusal to become Henry's mistress, unlike
her sister Mary earlier, led to Henry trying to get his marriage to
Catherina of Aragon annulled by the Pope which was the start of
the Reformation and the break from Rome. Tyndale's view that kings were
answerable to God and not the Pope strengthened his argument.
In David Sturzaker we have a dashing, athletic
Henry VIII, as he was in his younger days, besotted by Anne. She bore
him a daughter but no son and whether that was her death warrant or, as
in the play, her discovery that Henry's enforcer Thomas Cromwell was
skimming a healthy share of Church and monastery funds for his own use,
or the simple fact that Henry had become bored and was moving on to one
of her ladies in waiting, Jane Seymour we will never know. What is
certain is that none of the evidence of treason by way of adultery has
much credence. Juius D'Silva's Cromwell is a humourless man with
a sinister edge who, in the play is, like Anne, a staunch Protestant and
supposedly a protector of Tyndale. Thus we have two linked stories running in
parallel: Anne attempting to bring about the Reformation and a
Protestant England and James, brought up a strict Protestant on the
orders of Anne's daughter Elizabeth I, trying to bring some order to the
warring religious factions, even the Catholics or at least the Catholics
who were not trying to kill him with Gunpowder Plots and such. While Henry had the pompous Cardinal Wolsey,
played by Colin Hurley, to contend with James has to out fox
Michael Burtenshaw's Robert Cecil and the leader of the Puritans, Dr
John Reynolds, played by Robert Fitch. While all around are an excellent
support cast. Theatre to savour. One a plain set, Designed by Michael Taylor and
directed by John Dove this is a fabulous production which was a huge hit
at Shakespeare's Globe in 2010 and 2011 deserves to be so at the Alex. A mention to for the musicians, in a shelf at the
top of the set under musical director Jon Banks on Harpsichord and
percussion, with Emilia Benjamin and Liam Byrne on strings. To 24-03-12 Roger Clarke Meanwhile, a chip off the old block . . . **** AFTER two sell-out London seasons, this
Howard Brenton play is now on a nine-week UK tour which, juging by he
quality of the opening night performance at the New Alex, is sure to be
just as successful. It offers a new slant on the controversial Anne
Boleyn, whose 'ghost' trigger's the action by parading front of stage
with a bloodstained bag containing her head! But there is much more humour than horror in the
story which is beautifully acted by a superb cast in the English Touring
Theatre's presentation, directed by John Dove. Jo Herbert is a delight as Boleyn, seen here as a
witty and extremely confident woman with controversial religious ideals,
keeping King Henry VIII at arm's length by insisting there is no sex
until they are married. And as their first sexual encournter is about to
take place, she announces to the audience that there will be a 15-minute
interval,,,,but after a pause adds: "Make that 20 minutes". A powerful performance, too, from David Sturzaker
as Henry, while Christopher Birch perfectly portrays the power weilded
by Thomas Cromwell and James Garnon is remarkable in the amusing role of
King James I. The clever play, which runs to 24.03.12, ends
with the entire cast dancing to energetically to music provided by Jon
Banks, Emilia Benjamin and Liam Byrne. A genuine treat. Paul Marston
|
|
|
|
