‘Wolf Hall’: New spin on Henry VIII & Wives

ANNE BOLEYN, KING HENRY VIII’S SECOND WIFE, AT HER CORONATION: Lydia Leonard. Photo: Johan Persson

WOLF HALL PARTS ONE & TWO
Written by Hilary Mantel
Adapted by Mike Poulton
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
Winter Garden Theatre
1634 Broadway
(212-239-6200), www.WolfHallBroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

Everything about this two-part epic, which has landed on our shores after an Olivier Award-winning London run, has all the elements of a proverbial blockbuster. It is an adaptation of two bestselling books by Hilary Mantel, and offers a new spin on the familiar tale of the tumultuous court of Henry VIII and his wives, this time through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell (Ben Miles), his lawyer/adviser. The two shows, Wolf Hall (Part One) and Bring Up the Bodies (Part Two), which can be either seen separately or on the same day (Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only), run a total of almost six hours, but both segments are compelling and never boring. Although the two shows are historically accurate and director Jeremy Herrin keeps the action moving fluidly, we leave the theater expecting more from two shows from the Royal Shakespeare Company that take up an entire afternoon and evening if one sees both the same day.

The story has been told before in Anne of the Thousand Days, Showtime’s “The Tudors” and A Man for All Seasons, although the latter focused on Sir Thomas More, the 16^th century chancellor that wouldn’t let King Henry VIII have his 24-year marriage to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon (here played by Lucy Briers), annulled. Here we have a 20-plus member cast on a barren stage, with no real set other than some industrial-looking metal suspended from the ceiling, and everyone in 16^th century costumes by Christopher Oram (who just won an Olivier for them), all speaking easy-to-understand dialogue by Mike Poulton (who adapted Ms. Mantel’s two books).

As in the two previous Broadway dramas about the court of King Henry VIII, the focus is not on the king but his advisers. This time around, the drama centers not on Catholic hero Sir Thomas More but Ben Miles’ Thomas Cromwell as a Protestant zealot determined to carry out the king’s wish to annul his long-term marriage to Katherine of Aragon (who hasn’t produced a male heir) in order to marry Anne Boleyn (Lydia Leonard).

If you’ve ever seen a stage production of A Man for All Seasons or the film adaptation, as well as the Hollywood film Anne of the Thousand Days with Richard Burton (adapted from the 1948 play), you know how rich both works are with florid language. However, there is nothing particularly extraordinary about the narrative or simplistic dialogue of this Wolf Hall stage adaptation (which, by the way, is different from the PBS airing of the BBC miniseries of the same name, starring Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell).

Unfortunately, as ambitious as Wolf Hall is because it is such an epic, and despite its accessibility, it is ultimately mediocre. The acting is consistently good, but none of the performances are worth showering with superlatives.

Mr. Miles, as Thomas Cromwell, gives a solid performance throughout both segments, and does his best with the material. Also noteworthy is Paul Jesson (recently seen in Mr. Turner) as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Nathaniel Parker gives a fine portrayal of King Henry VIII, although it is simply a supporting role here (for which he just won the Olivier Award).

The rest of the male cast is competent but all seem too homogenous because it is difficult to tell who’s who after a while. Lydia Leonard, as Anne Boleyn, is imperious in all the right places, and Lucy Briers as Henry’s first wife, Katherine of Aragon, is powerful but her performance seems awkward at times as she speaks in a shoddy Spanish accent.

In fact, cast members playing characters of French and Spanish extraction often fade in and out of the continental European accents they are trying to emulate, sounding stereotypical and exaggerated. One would expect more professionalism from the Royal Shakespeare Company than cartoonish-sounding European characters in King Henry VIII’s time.

Overall, you don’t need to be a scholar of 16^th century English history to enjoy Wolf Hall. There’s enough bloody intrigue, drama and tension in the House of Tudor to keep audiences riveted throughout the entire saga. However, some fans of the travails of the British monarchy from past to present may feel they have learned nothing new about the Tudors after sitting through this entertaining but curiously unsatisfying marathon.

THOMAS CROMWELL: Ben Miles. Photo: Johan Persson

KING HENRY VIII: Nathaniel Parker. Photo: Johann Persson

KATHERINE OF ARAGON, KING HENRY’S FIRST WIFE: Lucy Briers. Photo: Johan Persson

JANE SEYMOUR, KING HENRY’S THIRD WIFE: Leah Brotherhead. Photo: Johan Persson

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 13, 2015
Reviewed at Press Performance on April 11, 2015