Tom Betteridge (Department of English) working with Historic Royal Palaces

Professor Tom Betteridge (Department of English) is currently working with Historic Royal Palaces to put on a number of events as part of the commemoration of Henry VIII’s succession. In August Tom will be helping mount a production of John Heywood’s Play of the Weather in the Great Hall at Hampton Court. This production is part of Tom’s major research project, ‘Staging the Henrician Court, which is being funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The Play of the Weather was produced during the period 1532 -33 when Henry VIII’s relationship with Anne Boleyn was common knowledge but had not been formally recognised. Heywood’s play is coded message to the court that Henry had secretly married Anne and that she was pregnant. 

In September 2009 Tom will be producing with the theatre company Goat and Monkey a site specific devised drama entitled A Little Neck. This project is being funded by a grant from the Wellcome Trust. A Little Neck will be an immersive theatrical experience with the audience being taking through the darkened back passages of Hampton Court Palace on a voyage of discover.

In July 2009 Tom will be coordinating a major international conference entitled Henry Vii and the Tudor Court. The conference is taking place on the 13 - 15th July and includes a plenary lecture by David Starkey and a performance of Tudor music. Throughout the year there will also be a series of public lectures bringing together a range of experts including Dan Snow and Phillipa Gregory. Tom will be one of the speakers in this series of talks. He will also be taking part in a BBC 4 documentary on Henry VIII talking about his work on Henrician drama.

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Filed Under #Research