“Outstanding …!”
“Best thing I’ve seen here in 11 years!”
These were just two of the compliments paid to BLT’s production of Anne Boleyn which we took to the Hever Festival Open Air Theatre for four performances this summer.
What an experience it was! The theatre seats 450 (four times the size of BLT) and was packed for every performance. The cast rose to the occasion with gusto and received standing ovations.
It was a great success, despite the coach transporting the cast from Bromley, looking and sounding as though it had come straight from a Carry On film! Twice it arrived late for the pick-up, so we reverted to our cars and travelled in convoy fashion to make sure everyone made it to the venue.
The logistics of “touring” such a large production were new to us, but all arrangements went well: the set was put up in about four hours and the costumes were sorted and ironed by the time the cast arrived for the first rehearsal. On the last night, the set, costumes and props (and cast) were all returned to BLT by midnight.
I was a very small cog in a very large wheel, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Congratulations must go to Pauline Armour who directed the show, Dave Armour who redesigned the set not only to fit Hever, but made it easily moveable and to all the cast and crew.
We would also like to thank the Hever Festival staff for being so friendly and helpful.
Roll on next year !!!
– Pat Jones
A fire drill forces the Tudors and Stuarts to kiss and make up.
The Tudors relax outside their new bathroom extension (Mike Savill and Sophia Danes)
King Jim (Paul Baker) and Lady-in-waiting-but-not-for-long-by-the-look-of-it (Kyle Cluett)
Paul Ackroyd dressed for another hard night manning the BLT box office
Lady Jane Seymour (Jessica-Ann Jenner) shows us her opinions
King Hank and the laadieezz!
Anne Boleyn – Sophia Danes
Lady Rochford – Alison Green
Jane Seymour/Ensemble – Jessica Ann Jenner
Ladies in Waiting/Ensemble – Fran Sheldon, Vanessa Marton, Grace Bishop, Jennifer Keefer
Henry VIII – Mike Savill
Cardinal Wolsey/Dean Andrewes – Howie Ripley
Thomas Cromwell – Stevie Hughes
Sloop – Martin Bunyan
Simpkin – Andrew Newbon
William Tyndale – Matthew Platt
James I – Paul Baker
William Cecil – Paul Ackroyd
George Villiers – Kyle Cluett
Parrot – Phil Cairns
Dr Reynolds/Ensemble – Paul Green
Henry Barrow/Ensemble – Peter Yolland
Ensemble – Michael Baker, Nigel Borsberry, Andy Washbrook
Directed by Pauline Armour