Queens (One Act)

by Kristen Doherty

King Henry VIII is trapped in purgatory and bound to his throne by a sinister Fool, and the ghostly Women in White. Here in his gilded cage, he is forced to relive the sins he committed against his Queens, mistresses and people, over and over again for an eternity.
The staging of Queens incorporates physical theatre, specifically Frantic Assembly techniques. The script integrates a multitude of original source...

King Henry VIII is trapped in purgatory and bound to his throne by a sinister Fool, and the ghostly Women in White. Here in his gilded cage, he is forced to relive the sins he committed against his Queens, mistresses and people, over and over again for an eternity.
The staging of Queens incorporates physical theatre, specifically Frantic Assembly techniques. The script integrates a multitude of original source documents; letters, eye-witness accounts, 16th century children’s rhymes and song lyrics.

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Queens (One Act)

9 – unlimited actors.
Minimum - 7 Females (or 16 if you don’t double up Queens/Gossips) 2 Males, 1 Any.

Alternately, the Queens can double up to play the Gossips and the ghostly Women in White, but the roles also stand alone. There can be unlimited Women in White and the Gossip scenes could also be split up for larger ensembles.
The male roles are very flexible, many can be added - Henry in Dream could be played by one or multiple actors, the scenes split to mark the passage of time and his ageing.
There can be multiple Fools.
‘The Women’ could also translate to ‘Courtier’. (If you are making change’s please find a Courtier of the time to name the character after. (The Gossips are all named after Henry’s lovers)