Anne Boleyn - Auckland Theatre Company
Transcription
Anne Boleyn - Auckland Theatre Company
EDUCATION PACK Contents S ponsors Auckland Theatre Company receives principal and core funding from CREDITS 4 ABOUT THE PLAY 6 ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT 7 INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR 8 KEY EVENTS IN TUDOR ENGLAND 12 KEY CHARACTERS 14 DESIGN ELEMENTS Subsidised school matinees are made possible by a grant from Set 18 Costume 22 Lighting & Sound 23 RELIGIOUS CHANGE IN TUDOR ENGLAND 26 10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ANNE BOLEYN 28 RESOURCES AND USEFUL LINKS 30 ABOUT ATC EDUCATION 31 CURRICULUM LINKS 31 PLEASE NOTE: ATC Education also thanks the ATC Patrons and the ATC Supporting Acts for their ongoing generosity. The 2013 Education Packs are made possible by a grant from •Schools’ performances are followed by a Q&A Forum lasting for 20 – 30 minutes in the theatre immediately after the performance. •Eating and drinking in the auditorium is strictly prohibited. •Please make sure all cell phones are turned off prior to the performance and, if possible, please don’t bring school bags to the theatre. •Photography or recording of any kind is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. 2 VENUE: Q THEATRE, QUEEN STREET, AUCKLAND CITY. SCHOOL DATE: Thursday 27 June at 11am. RUNNING TIME: 2 hours plus a 20 minute interval. SUITABILITY: This production is suitable for Year 13 students ONLY. ADVISORY: Contains frequent use of strong language and sexual references. 3 Cast Anna Jullienne — Anne Boleyn Andrew Grainger — Henry VIII Paul Minifie — Wolsey/Countryman/John Reynolds Simon Prast — Thomas Cromwell Claire Dougan — Lady Rochford Jordan Mooney — Simpkin/George Villiers Peter Daube — Sloop/William Tyndale/Henry Barrow Mikassa Cornwall — Lady Celia/Countrywoman Lauren Gibson — Lady Jane Seymour Stephen Lovatt — James I George Henare — Cecil/Countryman/Courtier Raymond Hawthorne — Dean Lancelot Andrewes/Countryman Ken Blackburn — Parrot/Courtier/Countryman Hera Dunleavy — Lady Margery/Countrywoman Creative Production Colin McColl — Director Hera Dunleavy — Assistant Director Rachael Walker — Set Designer Elizabeth Whiting — Costume Designer Phillip Dexter MSc — Lighting Designer Adrian Hollay — Sound Designer Marija Stanisich — Choreographer Paul Nicoll — Technical & Production Manager Fern Christie — Company Manager ChelseaAdams — Stage Manager Natalie Braid — Assistant Stage Manager Josh Bond — Technical Operator Natasha Pearl — Props Master Sophie Ham — Wardrobe Supervisor 2Construct — Set Construction Education Pack Nicole Winsor — Writer Lynne Cardy — Contributing Writer and Editor Michael Smith — Production Images Claire Flynn — Graphic Design Thanks to Chelsea Adams First performed at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, on 24 July 2010 4 5 About thePlay Synopsis Act I It is 1603, Anne Boleyn is long dead, and King James I has taken the throne. Hidden in a secret compartment of a clothes chest are Anne’s prohibited copies of William Tyndale’s English Bible and his work, “The Obedience of a Christian Man”, which scandalously claimed that the King should be the supreme authority of the church. James discovers the books and he decides to go on a hunt for Anne’s ghost. We then jump backwards in time to March 1522 and follow the events of Anne’s affair with King Henry VIII over the next seven years. Anne’s quickwitted scheme to withhold sex from the King until he makes her his wife results in the King’s decision to separate the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church, making himself the chief authority instead of the Pope. When it becomes clear that Henry will be able to leave his first wife and marry Anne, making her the first Protestant Queen of England, Anne finally gives in to Henry’s romantic advances. Act II In King James’s court in early 1604, James is trying to unite the divided Church of England in order to avoid any religious discontent which would threaten his rule. Meanwhile, in Anne’s time, she and King Henry are married and a daughter, Elizabeth, is born, but Anne feels threatened by her inability to give the King a male heir and also by her subjects’ treacherous dislike of her. James decides to commission a new and official translation of the bible into English in order to unite the religious factions of his realm. He orders that the new bible be based on Tyndale’s translation, but instructs his men to use words which make it clear that the King is the only person in charge. Feeling self-congratulatory about outsmarting the religious advocates, James gets blindly drunk and passes out in the Tower of London. James and Anne’s worlds begin to collide: Anne gives birth to a boy – but he is still-born; Henry begins an affair with one of Anne’s ladies; and Anne is accused of adultery, incest and treason and is sentenced to death by beheading. James wakes up and finally meets Anne’s ghost who tells James about the moments before her death and describes her hopes, fears and desires for herself and for a reformed Church of England. 6 About thePlaywright H oward Brenton “The perception is that Howard is one of our great political writers, but he is also a writer who surprises, because he seems to go much further: he has a poetic mind, but he’s also a sensualist; his writing is very funny, but he’s also someone with humanity. In terms of where he fits in, that’s a problem – it makes him, God forbid, versatile.” - Michael Grandage, director of DANTON'S DEATH (2010). Howard Brenton, born in Portsmouth in 1942, is a British playwright and screenwriter. He has written over 40 plays for the theatre since the mid-1960s and was a screenwriter for the popular BBC television show SPOOKS which aired from 2002-2005. He first received attention in 1969 with CHRISTIE IN LOVE, which depicts the life of the famous serial killer John Christie. Brenton’s next big successes came in the form of two political plays: THE CHURCHILL PLAY (1974), a blunt critique on the postwar sentimentality of British patriotism; and WEAPONS OF HAPPINESS (1976), a play about a strike in a London crisp factory in which an executed Czech communist is bought back to life. Brenton gained notoriety with the play, THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN (1980), which was a scathing comment on imperialism and the abuse of power. The depiction of the rape of a Druid priest by a Roman soldier in this play led to a morality campaign and unsuccessful private prosecution against the production’s director. With the rising interest in the provoking and violently political ‘in-yer-face’ theatre of 1990s Britain, Brenton - like many other left-wing playwrights of his generation at this time - found himself facing a lack of opportunities. As Brenton states, “I was out of fashion, and the money began to run out”. Following a lengthy hiatus, the 2005 National Theatre production of PAUL (which received an Olivier nomination for Best Play) was Brenton’s first major production in a decade. The play opened amongst religious controversy due to its presentation of the idea that Jesus was married and the Crucifixion had been faked. PAUL was quickly followed by a love story set in the Parisian middle ages called IN EXTREMIS (2006), before Brenton was commissioned by Shakespeare’s Globe to write ANNE BOLEYN, which premiered in July 2010. All of Brenton’s plays traverse difficult and at times painful territory, but they are also exhilarating and humorous portrayals of powerful themes, ranging from political satire and romantic love, to religious intolerance and the nature of belief. As Andrew Dickson of The Guardian writes, “Brenton's plays have never been afraid to confront subjects that would make nervier playwrights run for cover”. 7 Interview with the Director Breaking down the fourth wall Nicole Winsor talked to director Colin McColl about staging ANNE BOLEYN. The events of the Tudor period, and Henry VIII’s reign in particular, have continuously captivated the attentions of modern audiences. Anne Boleyn, has been the subject of much artistic speculation in recent years. From her portrayal as a beguiling sexual temptress in the television series The Tudors, to the depiction of her as a quickwitted charmer in the popular film The Other Boleyn Girl, based on the Philippa Gregory novel of the same name, Anne has consistently been the subject of reinvention in popular culture. Howard Brenton’s version of Anne Boleyn deals with the religious beliefs of the notorious Queen, which is a subject that is often ignored in Anne’s popular portrayals. As Colin McColl says, Brenton’s interest lies in “Anne’s obsession with the works of William Tyndale. Branded a heretic and a fanatic, Tyndale was the first man to translate the Bible into English and James I later demanded that the Tyndale version be the basis of his King James Version of the Bible. Brenton opens his play with James I finding Anne’s personal copy of Tyndale’s bible and he has fun exploring the psychic link between James and Anne.” 8 One of the challenging aspects a director faces when staging ANNE BOLEYN is being clear about the ambitious jumps in time made, both within and between Henry and James’s reigns. Colin explains: “It was something that troubled me when I first decided to stage the play because today (unless we are historians) we tend to lump all the Tudors together, and in the script, it’s important to understand the two different time frames – the world of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and James I’s world 70 years later. We’ve used costume, lighting and sound to highlight the different world for the audience, and show where they collide.” Colin also discusses the challenge of Brenton’s robust dialogue: “Working with a large cast in a fairly confined space does present challenges, but also offers wonderful opportunities. It’s a wordy play, which we’re presenting in a theatre space with notoriously difficult acoustics, so actors have to be reminded about clarity of speech.” Despite the setting in Tudor and Jacobean England, the play is, as Colin emphatically states, “a modern play.” As he says, “It’s interesting, this present day fascination with the Tudors: the politics, the sexual liaisons, the power play, and the lives lived under constant surveillance all appeal to our modern sensibilities.” Talking Points On the relevance of Anne and James’s stories to modern audiences, Colin points towards the worldwide religious turmoil that we see on the news everyday: “At one point James I says in the play ‘Nothing can tear a country apart like religion’. Just look to the Middle East. It’s still happening.” The Western world, likewise, is continuously experiencing “theological debate – different sects of Christianity still argue over biblical interpretation.” - How does the use of a thrust stage and the breaking of the fourth wall emphasise the dangerous and treacherous worlds of Tudor and Jacobean England? Yet ANNE BOLEYN is not a play that is focused solely on political and religious matters. It is also very funny, and Colin feels “lucky to have some very funny actors in the cast who are relishing the comic opportunities the script offers.” In his staging, Colin has also taken advantage of the play’s ability to keep the audience involved in the action: “Our staging is thrust staging (with audience on three sides) [...] there is no ‘fourth wall’. Characters talk and interact with the audience.” - Why do you think modern audiences are so interested in Anne’s story? What similarities of power, politics and religion can we see between Anne and James’s times and our own? - How were costume, lighting and sound utilised in order to indicate a change in time between Henry and James’s reigns? 9 10 11 Timeline of key events in Tudor England 1485 1533 Anne and Henry are married secretly in late January. Parliament decides all legal issues should be settled in English Courts which are controlled by the King. The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, grants an annulment of Henry and Catherine’s marriage, Anne is crowned Queen, and her daughter Elizabeth (later to be Queen Elizabeth I) is born. 1500 Anne Boleyn is born. 1509 Henry VIII takes the throne and marries his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. 1522 Anne returns to England from the French Queen’s court and becomes a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine. 1534 Henry writes a series of love letters to Anne, who continuously rejects his advances. Laws are passed that make it treason to slander Henry and Anne’s marriage. Anne suffers a miscarriage. 1535 Anne falls pregnant again. 1536 Anne miscarries again; this time, the child was a boy. The King starts an affair with Jane Seymour and Anne is accused of committing adultery with 5 men, including her brother George. Despite a lack of evidence, all five men and Anne are declared guilty of adultery and treason and are executed. Anne is beheaded at the Tower of London. Henry marries Jane Seymour. Cardinal Wolsey dies of illness after being sent from court in disgrace for failing to secure the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine. Henry decides to break away from Roman authority. 1537 Jane’s son Edward (later to become King Edward VI) is born and Jane dies. 1540 Thomas Cromwell is executed. Thomas Cromwell encourages Parliament to officially recognise the King’s supremacy over the Church, finalising the break with Rome. 1547 Henry VIII dies and is succeeded by 9 year old Edward VI. 1553 Edward VI dies and Mary I takes the throne. 1558 Mary I dies, without producing an heir, at age 42. 1603 Elizabeth I dies and James VI of Scotland (James I of England) becomes King. 1526 1527 1528 1530 1532 12 Henry Tudor (Henry VII) seizes power from Richard III, ending the 30 year battle between the Houses of York and Lancaster for the crown. The House of Tudor begins. Henry becomes dissatisfied with Catherine’s inability to provide a male heir and he decides to seek an annulment of their marriage from the Church of Rome and take Anne as his wife and Queen. Anne acquires a copy of William Tyndale’s The Obedience of a Christian Man, which puts forward the idea that the bible should be the centre of religious worship and the King should be the supreme authority of his own country’s church, and she shows it to Henry. Anne is made Marquess of Pembroke and finally sleeps with King Henry. 13 Key Characters The Tudor Period William Tyndale A scholar and religious reformer best known for translating the bible into English; for advocating a bible-centred approach to religion; and for advocating the view that the King of a country should be head of that country’s Church. Henry VIII King of England, 1509 – 1547. Anne Boleyn Henry VIII’s second wife. Lady Celia One of Anne’s ladies. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey A Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Henry’s Lord Chancellor (the King’s chief advisor). Thomas Cromwell Originally one of Wolsey’s most senior and trusted advisors; following Wolsey’s downfall he becomes the chief minister to the King. Simpkin Cromwell’s man. 14 Lady Rochford One of Anne’s ladies; married to Anne’s brother, George. Lady Jane Seymour One of Anne’s ladies; later, mistress to the King and his 3rd wife after Anne’s death; mother of Edward VI. Sloop First Wolsey’s man, then Cromwell’s. 15 The Jacobean Period 16 James I Robert Cecil King of England, 1603 – 1625; following Elizabeth’s failure to leave behind an heir, James inherited the throne via his mother, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, who was the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s sister, Margaret Tudor; James’s mother Mary was executed by Elizabeth I during her reign because she saw Mary as a threat to the throne. Secretary of State and spymaster to both Elizabeth I and James I; chief orchestrator of James’s succession to the throne. Parrot Cecil’s man. Dean Lancelot Andrews: George Villiers Doctor John Reynolds Favourite and Lover to King James I. Churchman and Scholar of Puritan views, known for initiating the project to produce the King James Bible. Henry Barrow A radical religious Separatist who saw the Church of England as corrupt and wished to see individual congregations given total authority over religious matters; he was later arrested and executed for his subversive thinking. Bishop in the Church of England and Scholar who oversaw the translation of the King James Bible. 17 Design One of the more challenging aspects about staging Anne Boleyn is being clear about the ambitious jumps in time between the world of Anne Boleyn and the court of James I - 70 years later. Director Colin McColl and his creative team have used costume, lighting and sound to highlight the differences in each world, as well as a universal set that allows both worlds to exist seamlessly. Set Designed by Rachael Walker, the open, sparse set framed by a forced perspective structure allows for multiple locations. The I beam uprights that form the structure can represent Farnham forest, an orchard, a chapel and various court locations. The forced perspective indicates a world that is at once grandiose but claustrophobic and inescapable. It also draws the eye in, and is useful for bouncing the voices of the actors out. The set is representative of various themes within the play: • The muscular masculine world of the court – a world made of concrete and steel. • The dangerous and mucky court politics – conveyed in rusting and degraded surfaces. • Reforming religious beliefs - loosely represented by a crucifix made of an I beam ceiling structure. • Feminine fragility, fertility, royal and/or corrupt wealth and the place where Anne was beheaded - a real grass green and gilt tree. The thrust seating configuration is a nod to the original Globe Theatre production. • seating blocks set on the stage are angled to make the audience feel more included • the actors relate to the audience often throughout the play The reverse raked rostra is useful for several reasons: • it offers different playing levels – height • is a platform for the throne • indicates a position of power 18 19 20 21 Costume To our 21st century eyes, all Tudor costumes look alike, so Colin and designer Elizabeth Whiting deliberately chose to accentuate the time differences between the two courts by dressing the characters in costumes with a modern edge. The 1950s inspired costumes in Anne’s world are 70 years away from the contemporary men’s suits of James’ court, however, Elizabeth has cleverly maintained certain silhouettes, colours and textures of the Tudor period in her modern designs. Henry VIII’s court Anne Boleyn and her ladies wear 50’s style skirts that puff out and are cinched in at the waist. Layered with petticoats to form an exaggerated silhouette these skirts are also reminiscent of the shape of the dresses of Anne’s time. The skirts are topped by risqué corsets – revealing and transparent on some characters and another nod to the 16th century. Unlike women in Tudor times, the ladies of Anne’s court wear towering heels. Colour is an important component of Elizabeth’s design and also helps the audience track the time changes. Anne is mostly in red and there are elements of red in each of the costumes worn by characters in her world, Cardinal Wolsley, for example, is all in red (as befits a Cardinal) and King Henry is also ostentatiously dressed in red. The two henchmen, Sloop and Simpkin are dressed in the style of 1950s teddy boys with drainpipe trousers, skinny ties and long fitted coats and their shirts are also red. James I’s Court An all-male domain, James’ courtiers wear buttoned up suits with high collars that wouldn’t be out of place in today’s fashion shops. Whilst most of the court is dressed in a palette of greys, blacks and charcoals, with occasional bright accents, James’ lover the young George Villiers wears a punk-rock t-shirt, baggy jeans and flamboyant accessories rich in texture. James himself is outrageous. Dressed in purple tartan like a faded glam rock star, the King prances and cavorts in Anne’s old dresses and heels that are a match for any that she wears in the course of the play. Lighting and Sound The lighting in the secretive, spy-ridden world of the court of Henry VII is lit by designer Philip Dexter in shadows, interspersed with moments of brightness. At the beginning of the play, when Anne is in her tomb, the lighting is less intense but when she and Henry celebrate their wedding day the stage is lit in a riot of colour. Contrastingly, the forest of Farnham where William Tyndale’s followers meet is evoked in cool green tones through a gobo that creates the shadows of the forest on the stage floor and James’ court is lit in bright clear tones throughout. The soundscape in the play mirrors decisions made around the costume design; in Henry’s time courtly dances are accompanied by music that reminds us of early 50s rock n roll, whilst in James’ throne room the music – and the dancing – has a contemporary feel - particularly in the ironic opening song at the beginning of Act 2. Thomas Cromwell, on the other hand, wears black throughout, his only accessory is a pair of black leather gloves – discovered by actor Simon Prast on the first day of rehearsals – which the character never removes. Tyndale’s Followers In contrast to Henry’s court the followers of William Tyndale appear in fabrics of green, olive and khaki – country colours. They wear simple work clothes; aprons, coats, scarves and woollens and they all wear headgear which hides their faces ( they meet in secret) and also serves to disguises the actors in these minor roles. 22 23 24 25 Religious change from the reign of Henry VIII to James I Henry VIII’s Reign 1509 – 1547: When Henry takes the throne; the Church of England is unambiguously Catholic. Meanwhile, in Central Europe Martin Luther and John Calvin are developing what would come to be the varying branches of Protestantism. When Henry seeks an annulment of his marriage with Catherine in order to marry Anne Boleyn he breaks away from the Roman Catholic Church’s authority, but the Church of England remains essentially Catholic in ideology. Edward VI’s Reign 1577 – 1553: Edward enforces changes which make the Church of England institutionally Protestant. Mary I’s Reign 1553 – 1558: Mary revokes Edward’s changes and re-establishes Papal authority over the Church of England. She violently persecutes many Protestants and those who escape flee to Central Europe. Elizabeth I’s Reign 1558 – 1603: Elizabeth re-establishes the Church of England’s independence from Rome. England officially becomes a Protestant nation but Elizabeth tolerates Catholicism provided those practicing pose no threat to peace and stable rule. She does not tolerate the more radical Puritans (a Protestant political group) who are pushing for far reaching reforms. James I’s Reign 1603 – 1625: By the time James is on the throne the official religion of England is a moderate form of Protestantism, (later known as Anglicanism). Initially, James is tolerant towards Catholics, however after the Gun Powder plot of 1605 – a Catholic conspiracy now celebrated as Guy Fawkes Day - James began enforcing stricter measures to suppress Catholics. James feared the Puritan factions of the clergy, whether they were moderate in their views or radically separatist because they imposed a threat to his supreme authority over the Church. James resolved to enforce conformity to his Church of England amongst the clergy and one way that he achieved this was by commissioning an official English Bible, which became known as the King James Bible. 26 27 Ten things you didn't know about Anne Boleyn 1 She was accused of being a witch. 2 She was rumoured to have had six fingers on one hand. 3 She was an expert card player who won masses of money when she played against Henry 4 Two weeks – the time it took from the first accusations to her death for Anne to be charged, tried and executed. 5 Anne had a quick and nasty temper – she once spoke to her uncle with words that “shouldn’t be used to a dog.” 6 She was vindictive. She ordered ex-boyfriend Henry Percy to arrest Cardinal Wolsey after his failure to secure an annulment. 7 Henry Percy was then on the jury that condemned Anne to death. 8 She abused Henry’s first child Mary (Catherine of Aragon’s daughter) because Mary refused to acknowledge Anne as Queen. 9 Her friend Lady Rochford was eventually beheaded herself for being implicated in adultery. 10Anne’s ghost walks. In 1864 a soldier was almost sent to prison for fainting on the job after seeing Anne’s ghost. He was only saved from being charged by a General’s testimony that he too had seen the ghost. 28 29 R ESOURCES AND LINKS Books Ives, Eric. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. Blackwell, Massachusetts: 2004. Marshall, Peter. Reformation England, 1480-1642. Oxford University Press, London: 2003. Newcombe, David G. Henry VIII and the English Reformation. Routledge, London: 1995. Websites Bennett, Vanora. ‘Dreamer or Schemer?: Step Forward the Real Anne Boleyn’. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2108838/Dreamer-schemerStep-forward-real-Anne-Boleyn.html Bordo, Susan and Natalie Sweet. ‘The Creation of Anne Boleyn’. http://thecreationofanneboleyn.wordpress.com/ Brenton, Howard and Andrew Dickson. ‘A Life in Theatre’. The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jul/10/howard-brenton-life-in-theatre Rennell, Tony. ‘Anne Boleyn, Harlot or Heroine?’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1296826/Anne-Boleyn-harlotheroine-Was-scheming-sexual-predator-brave-reformer-changed-Britain-ever. html A BOUT ATC EDUCATION ATC Education promotes and encourages teaching and participation in theatre and acts as a resource for secondary and tertiary educators. It is a comprehensive and innovative education programme designed to nurture young theatre practitioners and future audiences. ATC Education has direct contact with secondary school students throughout the greater Auckland region with a focus on delivering an exciting and popular programme that supports the Arts education of Auckland students and which focuses on curriculum development, literacy and the Arts. Auckland Theatre Company acknowledges that the experiences enjoyed by the youth of today are reflected in the vibrancy of theatre in the future. C URRICULUM LINKS ATC Education activities relate directly to the PK, UC and CI strands of the NZ Curriculum from levels 5 to 8. They also have direct relevance to many of the NCEA achievement standards at all three levels. All secondary school Drama students (Years 9 to 13) should be experiencing live theatre as a part of their course work, Understanding the Arts in Context. Curriculum levels 6, 7 and 8 (equivalent to years 11, 12 and 13) require the inclusion of New Zealand drama in their course of work. The NCEA external examinations at each level (Level 1 – AS90011, Level 2 – AS91219, Level 3 – AS91518) require students to write about live theatre they have seen. Students who are able to experience fully produced, professional theatre are generally advantaged in answering these questions. 30 31 ENGAGE JOIN THE CONVERSATION Post your own reviews and comments, check out photos of all our productions, watch exclusive interviews with actors and directors, read about what inspires the playwrights we work with and download the programme and education packs. Places to find out more about ATC and engage with us: www.atc.co.nz facebook.com/TheATC @akldtheatreco AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY 32 487 Dominion Road, Mt Eden PO Box 96002, Balmoral, Auckland 1342 Ph: 09 309 0390 Fax: 09 309 0391 Email: [email protected]