Reader Reviews
Anne Boleyn (Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, West End)
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 | Fortunately the rain held off for the matinee of Anne Boleyn but it is easy to pour cold water on Howard Brenton's interpretation of this fascinating figure. Although Anne was a protestant when that spelt danger the play overstates her influence over Henry VIII who was a very sophisticated religious thinker long before his tyrannical side took over. There is too much emphasis given to Thomas Cromwell and it is bizarre that Thomas More does not appear at all. The ending is horribly rushed which leads to confusion over why fate turned so suddenly and treachorously against Anne and Brenton makes no attempt to consider if any of the accusations against her might have had some truth. Finally, as almost always, Henry is hopelessly miscast as a still young, slim and virile king. However, even Shakespeare is historically unreliable and if taken as a piece of dramatic fiction the play is very entertaining. Given a slightly irrelevant but uproarious framimg device of the court of James VI, Brenton offers a conventional but intriguing version of this controversial queen. Miranda Raison, so good even if uncredited in Spooks, is a bewitching and spirited Anne and it is easy to see why Cromwell declares that everyone was in love with her. Anne Boleyn is confused and confusing at times but it fits very well into the Kings and Rogues Globe season. - David Baxter | 27 Jul 10 |
