This is a rather cool article about the Anne Boleyn play (and the actress playing her) being staged at the Globe this summer.
“Depending on which account you believe, she was a religious fanatic, a schemer, a sexpot, a poseur, a politician, a pawn or a witch — or all of the above. Since Anne Boleyn’s execution in 1536, the conduct and implications of her life and three-year marriage to Henry VIII have been vigorously contested, and those arguments are still alive among historians today. For good reason: her story is at the heart of England’s story.
It was Henry’s desire to marry Boleyn that led to his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, the schism with the Roman Catholic church and centuries of blood-letting. But how much was Anne complicit in his decision? Did she thrust herself into the king’s eye, or was she the passive victim of his attentions? Moreover, was Anne an agent of Lutheranism — the woman who persuaded the king that faith was possible by scripture alone?
Given the overlapping dramas of Henry’s courtship, marriage and destruction of Anne, it is perhaps surprising that Shakespeare’s Henry VIII — which examines this period of history — has been performed so seldom. The play has suffered on three counts. First, it was co-written by Shakespeare and his gifted but little-known successor as chief playwright of the King’s Men, John Fletcher. Second, it is unlucky. During a performance of Henry VIII at the Globe theatre in 1613, a cannon employed for special effects misfired and burnt the building to the ground. And third, despite its intriguing premise, the play pulls its punches. Anne Boleyn’s show trial and execution are tactfully avoided — as is any reference to Henry’s subsequent four wives.
This summer, the rebuilt Globe is staging both Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, a new play by Howard Brenton, back to back. Miranda Raison, a 32-year-old British actress best known for her role as Jo Portman in the BBC spy drama Spooks, will play Boleyn in both productions. In the past five years, Raison has worked continually in television and a little in film —including a role in Woody Allen’s Match Point — but these will be her first two plays for a long time. When we meet backstage at the Globe, between rehearsals, she is dressed in a pink T-shirt, jacket and jeans. She is girlishly pretty, with enormous, screen-friendly eyes, and a witty, polished talker.”
Okay, this part below really bothered me:
“One factor that will help Raison reach a view is Anne’s age. Historians are divided. Some believe Boleyn was born in 1507, others in 1501. So, at the time of her marriage to Henry, she was either 25 or 31. This contested detail has implications both for the history of the period and for any dramatic reconstruction. “If she was 31 when she married Henry, then he did it for love — because, if he only wanted her to bear a son, he would have married an 18-year-old,” Raison says. “If she’s 25, then that changes things. She might never have been in love before.”
Okay, HOLD ON- the whole Anne age thing, yes, that has always been debated but…
1) I thought it was pretty damn obvous that Henry was MADLY and desperately in love with Anne. Obviously he wanted to bear sons, but I’m sure it was both his love for her and his need for son. I don’t think he could have possibly ONLY done it for love. But he defintely was crrazzy about her. Can anybody seriously doubt that? 7 years of chasing after her?
2) “If she’s 25…she might have never been in love before?” Umm I think Miranda needs to read about a somebody named Henry Percy.
Im going to see both of these plays, so excited!!