The Sometime Husband of Three Katherines, Two Annes and One Jane: Play and Critical Essay.

Abstract

The Sometime Husband of Three Katherines, Two Annes and One Jane is a retelling of the Six Wives of Henry VIII story through memory and confrontation with the past. Kate, Katherine, Kitty, Anne and Anna are brought out of their graves into the modern world by Jane, who is trapped in an underground vault with an unpredictable Henry. As they travel through London they come into contact with us and are in turn entranced and appalled at the extent of change and the discovery of what they have become. They each value their freedom differently; Katherine believes she is bound by duty, Kate is on a personal quest to find her fourth husband, Anne and Kitty are desperate to make the most of their escape, and Anna attempts to make herself fit. Back in the vault Jane is about to give up waiting when the others arrive. On discovering that it was Jane who freed them, they are less than pleased. Each woman attempts to reconnect with Henry, drawing on their pasts and what they have learnt on their journey, but Henry resists their efforts to explain, or even forgive. They leave him, and are seen, months later, preparing to perform to a modern audience at the Tower of London.