@Joanna Leppink
"A highly enjoyable and entertaining evening with some sharp writing and convincing performances" is Aliya Al-Hassan's review on The Regina Monologues & Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII at Hampton Hill Theatre until Sat Oct 13.
Details
Venue: Hampton Hill Theatre, Hampton Hill
Price: £14
Upcoming Shows & Times:
8th October - 13th October 7.45pm
Tickets: www.positickets.co.uk
Our Verdict
The Regina Monologues
The Regina Monologues is an innovative and hugely enjoyable study of snapshots from each queen as they begin and end their relationships with Henry. Directors Josh Clarke and Michael Bishop bring a fresh and modern interpretation to the play, placing the action in a present-day setting and using large screengrabs projected onto backdrops to show the social media activity of various characters.
Helen Geldert’s Cathy is a Pilates-honed Northerner, lamenting her husband’s infidelities. She is likeable, natural and the audience really identify with her situation.
Amanda-Jade Tyler is a louche seductress as Annie. She shows an interesting character arc as she quaffs prosecco and crows about winning Henry. As a desperate figure downing neat vodka in her dressing gown as predicted, Henry inevitably loses interest in her.
Karin Carlson’s Jane is sweetly young and innocent. She is very believable as she conveys her deep love for Henry despite his behaviour and reputation.
Anna is given an amusing and interesting angle as she finds Henry through the internet. Tanya Gardner has some of the best one-liners in the play and delivers them dryly and with knowing weariness.
Emily Dixon’s Katie is arguably the most tragic figure who begins as a bouncy teenager, abused by Henry and cowed by her parents’ reliance on him. There is genuine sadness in Dixon’s performance that is very, very touching.
Tracy Frankson shows an alternative angle as a rather cruel Katherine, dismissive of her stepchildren’s wellbeing and overly eager to move on when Henry dies.
The writing is sharp, often very funny and each actor creates a very distinctive character. Although each queen has their own section of the stage and is lit individually, the production would have benefitted from more space and occasionally seems a little squashed.
Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII
Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII is a very different offering, as Henry VIII is met by all his wives after his death. Many historical elements are genuinely interesting, but the writing sometimes feels more like a history lesson, rather than a theatrical performance.
The female actors play the same queens and give them different character traits. Helen Geldert’s Catherine and Amanda-Jane Tyler’s Anne Boleyn are particularly passionate and expressive. There is also an excellent performance by Paul Furlong as Henry, who shows a wide range of emotions as he is confronted by the realities of his life. He has a very expressive voice and is convincing as an egotistical monarch.
Special mention must go to the intricate and very accurate period costumes for each queen. The attention to detail here and in the set of the first play is remarkable.
Each play would stand very well alone and at a total of three hours for the whole evening’s entertainment. It is the second play that seems to drag. Each of the six sections dedicated to each queen could be cut down without losing the essence of the individual characters.
Nevertheless, this is a highly enjoyable and entertaining evening with some sharp writing and convincing performances.
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