The Last Wife

Centaur Theatre / 50th Season

THE LAST WIFE

Quebec Premiere

February 12 - March 3, 2019

Written by Kate Henning, The Last Wife is a historical drama presented within a contemporary setting and with present-day vocabulary. Though the play is about the King Henry VIII's sixth and the last wife Katherine Parr, it equally well portrays Henry VIII himself, his three children Edward, Mary and Elizabeth (who will all in turn become English monarchs), and Thomas Seymore, a brother of Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII.

The play takes the audiences behind the throne into a home not unlike that of any power family today. Almost 500 years ago, Katherine Parr manoeuvred her way through the halls of power and earned the respect and trust of her husband, King Henry VIII. Though history shows that a wedding with the notorious King proved fatal to several of his wives, but in last wife Katherine Pratt he met his match in wit and negotiation, and gained a formidable ally worthy of ruling the country while he fought in France. Moreover, she had prepared his heirs - Edward, Mary and Elizabeth - to rule the British empire. The Last Wife is a smart, funny and potent examination of patriarchy, family, sexual politics, and, surprisingly, even women’s rights.

The playwright Kate Hennig explained her attraction to Katherine Parr:

 “After watching the events of the Arab Spring on the news in 2011, I became curious about the wives and daughters of tyrants. That led me to Henry VIII, which led me to Katherine Parr. The Last Wife is an ‘imagined’ history based on actual people and events. What I was deeply interested in was the humanity of these iconic characters, imagining what made them do what they did, thereby shaping history. Creating a contemporary voice for this history allows us to see ourselves and our own personal and political struggles. It also raises questions such as do women see power, specifically political power, as a position from which things get done or is the teaching of children--an archetypically feminine domain--a more powerful platform for change than seeking political office?”

 The play’s director Eda Holmes stated:

“The uncanny political timeliness and social relevance render The Last Wife popular both here and in the US. It’s full of sexy characters and life and death stakes--pillars of great theatre--but what emerges as the thrilling core of the story are Katherine Parr’s gutsy intelligence and resilient pragmatism. Kate [Hennig] has unleashed a modern woman into history, giving us a new prism through which to view power, patriarchy and feminism. In fact, she has done the very thing that historian and women's rights campaigner, Dame Mary Beard, proposes: she has redefined the structures of power.” 

The play brings the nearly 500 years old historical events to life with great mastery. All the actors shine in their roles, especially Diana Donnelly who portrays the lead character Katherine Pratt, the last wife of Henry VIII. She succeeds in enacting the complex drama of Katherine Pratt’s life, who succeeded in navigating the tough corners of her relationship with her unpredictable husband King Henry VIII, at the same time being a devoted and dedicated stepmother to his three children.

Even in the case you are not much familiar with this particular period of English history, the play will still hold your attention. It might even make you search later on at home in your books or online for the historical accounts of those times. 

PRODUCTION TEAM

• Written by Kate Hennig
• Directed by Eda Holmes
• With Diana Donnelly, Robert Persichini,  Antoine Yared, Mikaela Davies, Anne-Marie Sahen and  Alessandro Gabrielli.
• Set & Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco
• Lighting Designer Andrea Lundy
• Music Composers Anna Atkinson and Alexander MacSween
• Fight Director Anita Nittoly
• Assistant Director Jessica Abdallah
• Assistant Set & Costume Designer Zoe Roux
• Coach to Mr. Gabrielli Jonathan Patterson
• Stage Manager Melanie St-Jacques
• Assistant Stage Manager Danielle Skene

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For more information, visit the Centaur Theatre website.