In 1603, the flamboyant King James I of England is going through the dead Queen Elizabeth's possessions and finds evidence that her mother, Anne Boleyn, was, in fact, a religious conspirator. The second wife of Henry VIII was driven by some of the most dangerous ideas of her day. James is intrigued, even obsessed and needs to know more about her.

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As James connects with Anne's ghost, so do we. The story unfolds of her as a brilliant, brave and even, at times, reckless young woman who is confident in her sexuality, her politics and her beliefs. Her marriage to Henry, her presence at court and her death changed the course of history for England forever. Is it any wonder that, as she did for James, this feisty and playful Anne has become a bit of a cult figure for many?

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Howard Brenton's Anne Boleyn attempts to challenge and dispel the traditional view of her found in all our history books. He cleverly uses hilarious wit to offset the dark culture of mistrust and betrayal. Brenton captures the brutal jeopardy that pervades the Tudor court and yet fives us moments of gentle tenderness. He also creates for us some well defined and entertaining characterisations of some of the most powerful people of the time.

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