Anne Boleyn the Musical | Hever Castle

Anne Boleyn, the most famous (or perhaps notorious) of Henry VIII’s six wives, has had her story told many times through books, screen, and stage. But in the grounds of her childhood home, Hever Castle, this summer, producers Historalia have brought a fresh perspective to an often-maligned queen in Anne Boleyn: The Musical.

Historalia is a Belgian-based theatre company with a history of producing open-air musicals against the backdrop of historic sites. With Anne Boleyn: The Musical, they have brought this model to the UK for the first time, constructing an 1800-seat outdoor theatre in the grounds of Hever Castle in Kent.

Utilising headphones for binaural sound and taking full advantage of the location, with sets (designed by Robert Innes-Hopkins) based on the interior of the castle, while the exterior forms the backdrop for the open stage, the setting is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the production. While sightlines are not always perfect with such a wide stage, nothing beats watching Henry VIII approach on horseback as a scene plays out in the foreground, or seeing a cross projected onto the walls of the castle itself (lighting design by Michel Jacob).

Rebecca Night’s book focuses on the lesser-discussed parts of Anne Boleyn’s history, her work for political and religious reform, moving away from her traditional image of a wanton temptress. “Though they tried to silence me, I still have more to say,” Anne says early in the production, and for the audience there is much to learn from her story, much of which still has resonance today.

During the show, we see Anne leave Kent for the French and Burgundian courts, learn about the appetite for religious reform growing on the continent, and take her findings back to Britain. Rather than a seductress, we see her as a young woman willing to marry only if it is for love, and therefore Henry’s ultimate betrayal of her in the second act hits all the harder.

Emily Lane is outstanding in the title role, showcasing emotional nuance and powerful vocals through songs such as ‘You’ and ‘To Catch the Light’. Other standouts within the cast include Kim Ismay, particularly in her comic turn as Joan, while Clive Hayward is a powerful presence in the roles of Anne’s father Thomas Boleyn and Cardinal Wolsey.

The professional cast is supported by a community cast including a number of young performers. On press night, Annabelle Jones took on the role of Young Anne, providing a perfect introduction to her spirited character.

The songs, written by Rebecca Night and Sam Kenyon and composed by Sam Gevers, are enjoyable but lack staying power, with no true earworms to follow the audience home. This is the one disappointment in an otherwise stellar production.

To learn (or re-learn) the story of a fascinating historical figure, in the very location where many of the events took place, don’t miss Anne Boleyn: The Musical before it gallops out of Hever at the end of the summer.

Anne Boleyn: The Musical runs at Hever Castle, Kent until 30th August 2025.

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★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Daniel Watson