ETT's Anne Boleyn @ Darlington Civic

If only history had been this much fun when I was at school !

I didn't really get history when I was at school, either because of the way it was taught or because I remember most of my history lessons were just after lunch when watching the other classes play football was far more appealing.  It's a shame really, as had I realised that it could be as big, bold, fun and thrilling as John Dove's production then I'd have most certainly taken more notice.

The play brings to life and light the story behind Anne Boleyn's reputation as "the Protestant Whore" - how she was very much in love with King Henry VIII and most certainly didn't (at first) see him as a route to making England a protestant country.  It explores how Henry, fed up with Catherine's inability to provide him with an heir, was looking for a "church approved way" to rid himself of her and find another who could give him a rightful successor. 

The writing, the use of traditional musical instruments and the fabulous costumes all help to drive the story along at a brisk pace; there is plenty of humour throughout with the whole ensemble either playing to or falling foul of Howard Brentons wonderful script.

The story starts with the newly crowned James I hunting through an old chest and discovering the hidden secret of Anne Boleyn; the banned bible written and interpreted by the exiled William Tyndale.  Time skips back 70 years, to when the flirtatious and headstrong Anne first met the young King and how their lives & loves start to intertwine.  Never truly accepted by the courts, Anne has to battle the prejudices of those who saw her simply as the King's mistress, a conniver, a harlot and, to some, a witch.  It's true that she cast a spell over Henry, but this was no witchcraft, it was womanly charm.

Henry, who believes that as King he can demand favour from anyone he pleases is suddenly confronted with a woman, who, despite his obvious regal power (and his complete desire) is prepared to stand firm and refuse any physical union until they are married.  It is over this cliff-edge that the 'Catholic' king must leap if he is to take Anne as his bride and lover. It is through this time that Anne realises that she has an ally in her perseverance of bringing the Protestant faith to the fore - an unlikely and secret ally, but one who enables her to meet with Mister Tyndale.  She takes great strength through this and announces to the King that she is, in fact, a proud protestant and that by following the protestant teachings he could become the head of the Church of England and thus able to dispense his own form of religious protocols, including divorce.

There then follows plot & sub plot, alliance and betrayal with regular trips back to the 'present day' to see how James I was grappling with his own ideas of how to progress a unified English religion and an official translation of the Bible.  Of course, we know how Anne met her fate, but even the surroundings leading up to her imprisonment were clouded in treachery not often fully appreciated.

The cast all played their parts magnificently - Jo Herbert, as Anne, was steely strong, defiant and focused yet still naive and vulnerable in the presence of Henry's courtiers.   When not centre stage she floated in and out of scenes, keeping a constant thread through the whole story.  Julius D'Silva as Thomas Cromwell was subtly threatening, knowingly menacing and as trustworthy as a basket of vipers.  Had this been a pantomime he would have been the villain but I doubt anyone would have had the nerve to even whisper a boo. 

The standout performance for me was James Garnon as King James I - King James is a complex character, thought to have been gay,to suffer from gout and kidney stones and to be taken to bouts of giddy madness. We see him dressed in Anne’s coronation gown, dancing energetically with male courtiers, goading the new Church of England and the Puritans and seeking guidance and acceptance from Anne's ghost.  James Garnon plays the part with a mixture of wretched soul searching and gay abandon, complete with physical tics, anguished howls and unnerving maniacal laughter.

I think that this production should form a part of the modern curriculum; it could equally cover drama, history and RE and is readily accessible for all to understand - I took Jess to see it and, as she had just finished the Tudors in her history lessons, she found the show fascinating, engaging and completely enthralling.