A new musical about Anne Boleyn has provoked outrage after adding audience trigger warnings for basic British history, including a note that Henry VIII's ill-fated queen is beheaded.
Producers of Anne Boleyn: The Musical, set to open in south-east London, caution theatregoers about "execution by beheading," "female oppression," and "false accusations." The Tudor queen's fate has long been known to generations of schoolchildren, famously summed up in the playground rhyme "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived."
Open-air show at Greenwich
The open-air production, which will take the stage at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, appears concerned that modern audiences might be caught off guard by the 500-year-old story. The show's online box office now urges parental discretion for children under 12 and publishes a stark warning about historical themes.
The production's notice reads: "This open-air production features historical themes, including depictions of female oppression, false accusations, emotional distress and perinatal loss/miscarriage, culminating in Anne's imprisonment and execution by beheading."
Producers defend the move
Producers have defended the decision following the outcry. A spokesperson for the show said: "Like many theatre productions, we provide content guidance to help audiences make informed decisions about attending."
"While Anne Boleyn's extraordinary life and tragic fate are well known, the musical also explores some of the more difficult aspects of her life. Providing this information in advance is simply about helping audiences know what to expect."
Historical background
Anne was famously held in the Tower of London before being executed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1536, a story that has been a pillar of Britain's national curriculum and popular culture for centuries. She reshaped English history when the King severed ties with the Catholic Church to marry her, sparking the English Reformation and the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth I.
Henry VIII's second wife reigned for just three years before she was beheaded on trumped-up charges of adultery and treason after failing to give the King a male heir. Edward VI, son of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour, was born a year after Anne's death.
Production details
Directed by Roxana Silbert, the production will feature live horses alongside a score by Selma Greenwood and lyrics by Rebecca Night and Sam Kenyon. In another unusual twist, every ticket holder will be required to wear headphones throughout the performance in a purpose-built auditorium on the Greenwich grounds, the historic site of Placentia Palace, where Anne once lived.
Tickets for the run in May and June 2027 are on sale for up to £121, with promotional blurbs promising to "rewrite theatre" and championing Anne as a "brilliant, ambitious and ahead of her time" figure who took on Tudor society.
