UK Theatre Network

Howard Brenton’s new play at The Globe adds to the fashionable cult of Anne Boleyn, by re-painting her not as a scheming power seeking witch, but as a forward thinking idealist and reformer, responsible for the revolutionary ideas that changed English religion.
Early on it is clear that Brenton has a loose hold on history with imagined scenes of Anne meeting bible translator William Tyndale. In his play her influence very much still lives on, and it is implied that her religious legacy not only gave us Protestantism and the King James Bible (although her ‘heretical’ Tyndale Bible was essentially the same book), but was also a possible historical contributor to the Civil War years later.
The story packs in a lot. In the first part young Henry VIII is madly in love with Anne, and desperately trying to find a way to get rid of his sonless wife Katherine of Aragon. In Act II the drama rather cleverly plays with time and Anne is not only seen as a living queen, but the also as a ghost in James Ist reign. The King becomes a dominant character as he negotiates with religious factions who are threatening to pull the country apart, and Anne’s downfall is almost upstaged by this new storyline.
Anne played by Miranda Raison, is sexy, assertive and shrewd. Rather than being the monster often portrayed by history, she is the audience’s friend.  She play’s with them, teases and takes them into her confidence, and even shows her head as a joke. She announces the interval with a naughty wink, saying unashamedly that it’s time for her and Henry to get down to sex after holding off for seven years. The language is modern and direct. Henry admits to having ‘a raging hard-on,’ and Anne wastes no time is describing Queen Katherine as “such a cow.”
The casting is spot-on. Raison shines in the role of Anne, and is well matched with Anthony Howell who plays a dynamic, virile Henry VIII. James Garnon bring’s almost a Rocky Horror Show quality to the role of King James as the camp, twitching, larger than life ruler, and Amanda Lawrence is also notable as Lady Rochford.
The production is kept at a pace by John Dove’s fine direction, and is complimented by William Lyons's delightful score.
Anne Boleyn plays at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre until August 21, 2010.

OLIVER VALENTINE