The next Anne Boleyn?

The next Anne Boleyn?

 

 

 

to main page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Heart, How Like You This?

 

Tudor Media News

New Tudor-related Books, Film & Television


6 June  The BBC has a website about their adaptation of The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Jodhi May as Anne and Natasha McElhone as Mary.  There are production images as well as a screensaver.  Check it out!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/boleyn.shtml


16 May  I wanted to share some dvd news with everyone - La Reine Margot (Queen Margot) will be available on dvd on 7 July 2003, at least according to Best Buy.  If you've visited the Tudor Films page, you know I love this film.  It can be overwrought at times but it's still a must-see for all Tudor / 16th century history enthusiasts.  Virna Lisi is a great Catherine de Medici and Isabelle Adjani plays her daughter, Marguerite de Valois.  The film centers on the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572.  It's as entertaining as the Alexandre Dumas novel upon which its based.


29 April   Some interesting Media news - according to E! Online, there will be a film version of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, possibly starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (of TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Anne, or her daughter Elizabeth I. 

This film, plus the planned Henry and Anne mentioned below, plus the Six Wives miniseries, means a glut of Tudor stuff in the works.  It's 1998 all over again.


Everyone is talking about the ITV Henry VIII mini-series which will start Helena Bonham Carter as Anne Boleyn.  (Thanks to Wendy for passing it along.)  But a while ago, I came across the following snippet, from an internet article about Charlotte Gray -

"[Douglas] Rae is currently working on a number of projects, including The Water Horse, to be shot in Scotland, Henry and Anne, a feature film written by Allan Scott for Film Four about the story of the infamous marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and Charlie, a feature film written by Ronan Bennett (Lucky Break) on the 1745 campaign by Bonnie Prince Charlie to take over the throne."

According to the always-invaluable IMDB.com, Rae produced Mrs. Brown as well - a sign that he knows the right way to make good historical films.  I'm wondering if this is the long-rumored Cate Blanchett-Russell Crowe project about Anne and Great Harry, only that hasn't been mentioned in at least a year.  A hoax upon unwary Tudor enthusiasts?  Perhaps.

As for the mini-series, Bonham Carter is a fine actress and an old hand at the Tudor era, having played Lady Jane Grey in 1986.  

Now when will that film be released on dvd?


The Folger has posted information about their Elizabeth celebration which runs from March 21 to August 2.  There will be a play about Elizabeth written by Maxwell Anderson, who (I think) wrote 'Anne of the Thousand Days.'
link - http://www.folger.edu/develop/QE1-6.asp

Also, Professor John Guy will be presenting the Shakespeare birthday lecture at the Folger on April 28 at 8 pm.  The event is free; his topic will be 'Elizabeth I and Mary, queen of Scots'.
link - http://www.folger.edu/public/lectures/menu.asp#lecture
From the Folger website:
Shakespeare’s Birthday Lecture
Monday, April 28, 2003 at 8 p.m. in the Folger Elizabethan Theatre,
followed by a reception in the Great Hall.
Free.
John Guy speaks on "Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots."
Elizabeth I is one of the legendary personalities of history, but when Mary Queen of Scots, her "loving 'sister' and cousin," returned home from France, the rival queens competed for space and authority in the British Isles. And yet, they had much in common. Leading (male) councillors subverted both their monarchies on gender and religious grounds. This lecture seeks to reassess Elizabeth I using her dealings with Mary and these councillors as a prism.
John Guy, Visiting Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge, and Honorary Research Professor of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, is the author of Politics, Law, and Counsel in Tudor and Early Stuart England (2000) and editor of The Reign of Elizabeth I: Court and Culture in the Last Decade (1995) among numerous other works.


Two upcoming exhibitions at the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC:
"Thys Boke Is Myne"
November 13, 2002 through March 1, 2003

Explore how bibliophiles, famous and forgotten, have signaled ownership of treasured volumes for five hundred years, drawn from the finest association copies in the Folger collection. Books belonging to writers, collectors, royalty, actors, presidents, and women show the connection between people and their books. Inscriptions, mottoes, manuscript additions, bookplates, book labels, armorials, and binding stamps link texts to their owners from William Caxton to Langston Hughes. The title of the exhibition is taken from a line boldly written by Henry VIII in his schoolboy copy of Cicero.

Elizabeth I, Then and Now
March 21 through August 2, 2003

A blockbuster examination of the reign of Elizabeth I, exactly 400 years after her death, drawn exclusively from the Folger's holdings, which are the largest collection of items by and about Elizabeth in North America. From court entertainments to Elizabeth's Men, all aspects of her sovereignty from foreign ties to inventories of her wardrobe will be displayed. A special section will look at her extensive legacy from the pamphlets, plays and novels of the seventeenth century to the mysteries, movies and merchandise of our own. Among the 85 treasures on display will be the "Sieve" portrait, letters to and from the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth's bible, the Queen's New Year's Gift Roll, and more recent representations, including a Barbie doll and rubber duckie.

The chance to explore the Folger's vast Elizabethan collection shouldn't be missed.  I can't wait to view the Sieve portrait in person.


Thanks to Tracey for news that a book called 'Ladies-in-Waiting' by Anne Somerset has been reprinted.  It is an historical survey which begins in the 16th century.  This is certainly an interesting subject, particularly since there were a few Tudor queens who met their future husband as ladies-in-waiting to his then-current wives.


 David Loades, who has written extensively about Tudor England (including the definitive biography of Mary I), has edited Sutton Publishing's new 'The Chronicles of the Tudor Queens'.  This is the latest volume in their series which collects famous documents from throughout English history.  There are numerous illustrations and the selections include some of the most fascinating events in 16th century history - the brief reign of Lady Jane Grey, Mary's disastrous marriage to Philip II of Spain, the Wyatt rebellion, the trial of Mary, queen of Scots, the victory over the Armada, etc  There are also numerous accounts of foreign and domestic policy under Mary and Elizabeth and descriptions of their personalities and courtiers.  It's available for purchase in England, and can be pre-ordered in the US.

One thing I always enjoy about these sorts of books is their chronological order - simply put, as you read, you become more fully aware of the uncertainty of life in the 16th century.  It's old news to us that Elizabeth became Gloriana and the sixteenth century ended with England poised and prosperous, a civil war in the near future but its self-confidence always intact.  But the triumphs of the Elizabethan age were still fraught with trepidation for those that lived through them.  In other words, no one in 1562 knew that the queen would recover from smallpox and live for another forty-one years.  For the first fifteen years of her reign, Elizabeth and her courtiers lived on a knife's edge, always aware that the fragile thread of the queen's life kept their country safely Protestant.  While reading 'The Chronicles of the Tudor Queens', you get a wonderful sense of the problems facing the three queens and a renewed appreciation for Elizabeth's success.
 
 


Wendy's book Wendy Dunn (of Suite101.com's Tudor England site) has created a website for her new novel about Anne Boleyn, which will be published shortly.  You can read excerpts and articles about Anne at the site.  Congratulations to Wendy.

Wendy's book can now be ordered through Amazon.com.

Amazon.com is offering a two-pack edition of Anne of the Thousand Days and Mary, queen of Scots for about $20.  Throw in Lady Jane for a total of $35.  Give yourself a Tudor treat....  No word yet on when they'll be released on dvd.

Enter the Tudor Ghost Story contest.  It ends 1 December.

David Starkey's books on the six wives and Great Harry himself will be published in October and November 2002, as will another Starkey book 'The Reign of Henry VIII'.

Alison Weir's biography of Mary, queen of Scots will be published in the spring of 2003.  I thought this was supposed to be a study of Darnley's murder but perhaps it has changed into a straight-forward biography?  The title is now simply 'Mary Queen of Scots'.


New books - Mary Queen of Scots: A Spiritual Biography by Carol Schaefer.

Nell Gavin's Threads.

Greensleeves: An Elizabethan Novel by Marticia Burns McKinney is now available.  Her site also features a history of the famous song, links, and more.


David Starkey's 'Elizabeth' begins February 26th at 9 pm on the History Channel in the US.
It continues through Friday, March 1st.


Joseph Fiennes (from Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love) will play theologian Martin Luther in a biographical film; Peter Ustinov will co-star.


According to E!Online's 'Dotted Line' -
'Nicole Kidman has turned in her cancan for a crown in the Fox Searchlight costume drama Court and Spark. Kidman plays Eleanor of Aquitaine, the 12th-century queen of both France and England. With Kidman's schedule already loaded and the Court script needing to be tweaked, the project will not go into production for some time.'
I like the title, and any film about Eleanor is welcome news.  Can Kidman top Katharine Hepburn's great performance in The Lion in Winter?  We'll see.


New books -
Bloody Mary's Martyrs: The Story of England's Terror by Jasper Ridley
Amazon.com states that the paperback version of Weir's Henry VIII: The King and His Court will be available this month (January 2002.)

David Starkey's Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne is also available in paperback.

I've used Amazon.com links above simply because their customer review sections are better than Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com)  It's good to explore books before purchase.
However, Barnes & Noble has a fantastic site as well, including Tudor posters - click here to view their Henry VIII section.  It includes a poster advertising 'Henry VIII's Dating Service' - the tagline reads, If you've ever lost your head over a man....

Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son by Beverly A. Murphy is about Henry Fitzroy, illegitimate son of Henry VIII.  Thanks to Lynne for sending along the correct author and title.

The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch came out early last year.  I kept meaning to list it here, but forgot.  It is listed at Amazon.com as available in paperback, as of September 2001, but it's a 'special order'.


The Bravo Channel has been showing several films set in the 16th century over the last few months -
coming up -
'Anne of the Thousand Days' on Wednesday, 22nd August at 7 pm and 11 pm
'Queen Margot' on Saturday, 25th August at 11 am


Some new books are on the way, including the long-awaited Alison Weir work Henry VIII: The King and His Court.
Random House is publishing the book, and they have created a promotional site.  The site includes an author interview, essay, and excerpts from the book as well as Tudor genealogy and the table of contents.  In her essay, Weir discusses a letter by Henry which sheds new light on Anne Boleyn's execution.  This work should be quite different from the usual Tudor books which merely recycle everything we already know.  I'm glad Random House has created the promotional site since it gives Tudor enthusiasts a chance to explore the book before purchase.
Weir's book on Mary, queen of Scots and the murder of Lord Darnley is due next year.


David Starkey's Channel 4 program on Elizabeth I will be followed by a step back in time - a program on Henry VIII's six wives.  The companion book, 'Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII' will be published in August 2001.  It is listed at Amazon's UK bookstore, but not in the US.  I'll keep you posted on its progress.


And in film news....  Way back in January, the Sunday Telegraph reported that the BBC was planning to make a film about Mary, queen of Scots's early life.  I haven't heard anything else since then, but if I do it will be posted here.
Australian papers are reporting that Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett have been approached to play Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in a new film.  One can only hope it will be better than 'Elizabeth'.
Thanks to Wendy for the news.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chronicles of the Tudor Queens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to main page

 

1