Three special performances of the 14th century play were held at Hampton Court Palace this week, part of a programme of celebratory events marking the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne.
Professor Thomas Betteridge of Oxford Brookes University received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to research and stage a play that was originally performed in 1533 for Henry VIII’s court.
The play, which was performed in the Great Hall, was a research-led performance and drew an audience of around 450 people over three nights.
Professor Betteridge explains, “John Heywood’s, The Play of the Weather, is an allegory of the religious choices facing Henry in 1533. In the play, the God Jupiter, representing Henry VIII, decides to come to earth and resolve the constant debates that humans have over which is the best kind of weather. He soon discovers though that it’s impossible to keep everyone happy as while the washerwoman wants sun, the little boy desires snow, and so on. The play subtly argues that best thing for the King to do is nothing, as trying to please everyone will simply lead to yet more disputes.”
The process was interdisciplinary and involved scholars of drama, history and English working closely with Historic Royal Palaces staff alongside costume and set designers, actors, musicians and the director, Gregory Thompson, of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
The AHRC is also funding a season of high-profile public lectures being held in the sumptuous surroundings of Hampton Court Palace’s Great Hall. They bring together experts from literature, academia and culture for a series of lively debates. Guest speakers are eminent historians, historical novelists, curators, directors and scholars including AHRC-funded academics Suzannah Lipscomb from the University of Oxford, and Professor Thomas Betteridge of Oxford Brookes University. Professor Betteridge says, “The lectures examine themes such as, solving the enigma of Henry VIII’, and the nature of the religious changes that Henry imposed upon the English Church.”
For more information please see: http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/stories/palacehighlights/HenryVIIIheadsandhearts/Specialevents.aspx
Notes to the editor:
Media contact: Jake Gilmore j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk tel. 0117 9876773
About Arts and Humanities Research Council: Each year the AHRC provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,350 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. Arts and humanities researchers constitute over a quarter of all research-active staff in the higher education sector. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.