On & Off Broadway

'Wolf Hall' – Parts One & Two

Reviewed by Elyse Trevers

Posted

Gossip, intrigue, adultery, murder — all are the elements of a good soap opera. Yet it's the actual history of the Tudors. In her books, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel, Man Booker prize winner, follows the tumultuous life and career of Thomas Cromwell, a poor blacksmith's son who rises to become the chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540. Cromwell was one of the strongest and most powerful advocates of the English Reformation. Along the way, he made his fortune and many powerful enemies.

In a masterful two-part play, the RSC brings Mantel's complex, often abstruse works to life. Under the direction of Jeremy Herrin and a fine cast, English history unfolds at the Winter Garden Theatre in a limited run.

Cromwell (superbly portrayed by Ben Miles) wins favor from Henry when he finds a way for the king to marry Anne Boleyn. As a result, Henry and England separate from the Pope and the Church (Part One.) Later, Cromwell engineers Henry’s annulment from Anne, so that the king can marry Jane Seymour (Part Two.) Henry, depicted as a randy, sometimes overgrown child is desperate for a male heir.

Ben Miles is Cromwell. Mannered but never quite obsequious, he's proud and capable. He is grieving the loss of his wife and daughters and is loyal to the end to Cardinal Woolsey, his first master, even when he falls out of favor. Ironically, Miles makes Cromwell a sympathetic character even when he is exacting revenge for Woolsey.

As Henry VIII, Nathaniel Parker exemplifies the petulant man-child who rules England. He is quick to anger and quick to fall in love, imperious, stately and then foolishly lovesick, especially when he gazes at Jane Seymour. Despite his large size and royal birth, Henry is easily manipulated by the women around him and by Cromwell, who puts words in his mouth.

The large ensemble performs in both plays. Lydia Leonard as Anne Boleyn is coquettish and shrewish. The audience feels no sympathy for her, even when she’s lead to her death.

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