by Howard Brenton. Directed by Michael Reilly.
Performance dates and times :
Wednesday 22 – Saturday 25 July and Tuesday 28 July – Saturday 1 August at 7.30pm.
Matinées on Saturdays 25 July and 1 August at 3pm.
At the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
Audition dates and times:
Tuesday 28, Thursday 30 April and Tuesday 5 May at 7pm at the Tower Theatre.
Contact the Assistant Director, Azul Alysum to arrange an audition. Please identify which character you would like to audition for and/or if you would like to be part of the cast ensemble and provide any dates you would not be able to commit to during the rehearsal process. Please read the play beforehand including the author’s preface; there is a copy in the foyer of the Tower. At the audition, you will be asked to perform scenes from the play with other auditionees. Printed copies of the scenes will be made available on the day. We may invite you to a recall, where you will perform further scenes from the play. You will be informed of the outcome of your audition after any recalls have taken place.
Auditions are for Tower Theatre Company Members only.
If you would like to join the Company, please click here for more information.
About the play
Howard Brenton’s script is a modern masterpiece deftly deploying the past to express urgent truths about the present. It is 1603 and James I has – against the perils of the time – united the querulous crowns of England and Scotland. His is a less than united kingdom, following the death of Elizabeth I, with religious factions still bickering for authority over the mysterious Word of God. As James grasps for a pragmatic solution to the nation’s political and spiritual strife he finds himself drawn, despite her notoriety, to the memory of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s mother, who haunts his footsteps like a ghost. An irrepressible spirit done great violence to, Anne lives on. And so James leads us back towards the Court of Henry VIII so that we might relive and reassess the extraordinary tale of Henry and Anne’s forbidden love, the mafia-like menace of Thomas Cromwell, the precipitous fall of Cardinal Wolsley, and the peremptory rise of William Tyndale, an era that changed England forever and that still, Brenton shows us, speaks profoundly to our own lives today.
Casting Breakdown
The play is jointly set in England at the Royal Court of King Henry VIII (1527-1536) and King James I (!603-1604). This is a timeless tale conveyed in a modern idiom and all roles are open to actors of any ethnic and cultural background. English accents are preferred but not compulsory. An Edinburgh accent for James I, and Gloucestershire accents for William Tyndale and the Country Women and Men are also preferred, but again this is not compulsory. The show will have an ensemble of versatile actors playing multiple roles who will enjoy lots of stage time and memorable moments.
ANNE BOLEYN: female, playing age 20-30, Lady-In-Waiting, eventually Queen of England, ambitious, headstrong, seductive, intelligent, idealistic, devoted to both Henry and Christ though possibly more towards the latter, fiercely evangelical, naive, trusting, tragic, a trailblazing feminist undone by the whispered violence of court intrigue.
KING JAMES I: male, 30-40, first King of England and Scotland, clever, astute, irreverent, licentious, drunken, humorous, haunted, an unsung historical figure increasingly revered and re-evaluated by modern British historians.
KING HENRY VIII: male, 30-40, King of England, powerful, lusty, playful, lyrical, boyish, impatient, immature, something of a serial seducer humbled by his love for Anne, happier hunting game than managing court intrigue, driven by a ruthless desire to secure the stability of his Kingdom no matter the price.
THOMAS CROMWELL: male, 40-60, charming, masculine, machiavellian, menacing, ironic, loyal to Henry, misogynistic, something like a mafioso overlord, merciless, always several steps ahead of everyone, fonder of worldly power than spiritual enlightenment though obsessed by both.
ROBERT CECIL: male, 40-60, loyal to the Crown, intelligent, long-suffering, a fixer, knows where the bodies are buried, authoritative, something like a senior civil servant,.
CARDINAL WOLSELY: male, 50-70, powerful, political, prudish, loyal to Henry, loyal to the Pope, antithetical to the Reformation and its heresy because of its threat to his influence, antagonistic to Anne and her ascent, betrayed by Cromwell.
GEORGE VILLIERS: female, 20-30, noble, attractive, dandy, seductive, lover of James I, loyal yet manoeuvring, drawn to worldly power, witty, note that we are seeking a talented female actor interested in the challenge of playing a male character.
WILLIAM TYNDALE: male, 30-40, mysterious, enigmatic, deeply spiritual, adventurous, revolutionary martyr, recklessly devoted to a divine cause
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LADY ROCHFORD: female, 30-40, protector of Ladies-In-Waiting including Anne, married to Anne’s brother, strong, intelligent, deftly navigates court intrigue, sometime antagonist of Cromwell, has a talent for survival in a predominantly masculine world, breaks under the pressure of masculine violence.
LADY CELIA: female, 20-30, Lady-In-Waiting, romantic, attracted to worldly power, fond of pageantry, has a talent for survival in a predominantly masculine world, note that this is likely to be an ensemble role
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LADY JANE: female, 20-30, Lady-In-Waiting, romantic, attracted to worldly power, fond of pageantry, has a talent for survival in a predominantly masculine world, future wife of Henry, note that this is likely to be an ensemble role,
SIMPKIN: male/female, 20-30, Cromwell’s man, something like a mafioso, expedient, soldierly, satirical, occasionally violent, note that although these are male characters we are very open to these roles being played by female actors, this is likely to be an ensemble role
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SLOOP: male/female, 20-30, Wolsely’s man then Cromwell’s, something like a mafioso, self-serving, expedient, soldierly, satirical, occasionally violent, note that although these are male characters we are very open to these roles being portrayed by female actors, this is likely to be an ensemble role,
PARROT: male/female, 20-30, Cecil’s man, something like a mafioso, self-serving, avaricious, satirical, expedient, soldierly, occasionally violent, note that although these are male characters we are very open to these roles being portrayed by female actors, this is likely to be an ensemble role.
DEAN LANCELOT ANDREWS: male, 40-70, Leader of the Anglicans, fractious, ambitious, enemy of the Puritans, wrestling for control over the Church of England, there is a touch of Monty Python’s Life of Brian in the absurdity of his religious dogma, note that this is likely to be an ensemble role.
DOCTOR JOHN REYNOLDS: male, 40-70, Leader of the Puritans, fractious, ambitious, enemy of the Anglicans, wrestling for control over the Church of England, there is a touch of Monty Python’s Life of Brian in the absurdity of his religious dogma, note this is likely to be an ensemble role.
HENRY BARROW: male, 30-40, rebellious Puritan, idealistic, slightly mad, note this is likely to be an ensemble role.
TWO COUNTRY WOMEN AND TWO COUNTRY MEN: male/female, 20-30, spiritual conspirators, deeply loyal to Tyndale, suspicious of worldly power, note that these are likely to be ensemble roles.
DIVINES, COURTIERS AND SERVANTS: male/female, 20-40, note that these are ensemble roles.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will begin on Saturday 16 May, following the pattern of Saturdays 2pm-5pm, Mondays, 7-10pm and Wednesdays 7-10pm.
All cast members are required to attend the get-In on Sunday 19 July, the Technical Rehearsal on Monday 20 July and the Dress Rehearsal on Tuesday 21 July. The cast is also required to help with the strike after the final performance on Saturday 1 August.
 Michael Reilly writes songs and stories that sometimes compel him to direct. He most recently directed Ted Hughes’ translation of Jean Racine’s Phèdre at the Network Theatre, as well as his own translation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Yerma in 2024. Other credits include Moving Day at the Southwark Playhouse (writer/director) in 2023 and Staying Alive at the Tower (Assistant Director and Assistant Stage Manager) last year. |
Set Design : Dina Benderra
Costume Design : Jackie Robinson and Kathleen Morrison
Stage Manager : Gary O’Keefe
Assistant Director : Azul Alysum