Death of infamous King Henry VIII brought to life in new play by Blackpool Tower Dungeon troupe

‘Henry’s End’ follows the final moments of Henry VIII as he looks back on his life. Once the golden boy of Westminster, hailed by his contemporaries, he now lies alone with only his court jester, Will Summers, for company. As the king approaches his titular end, the many people he has wronged – his unfortunate wives and advisors – appear to take revenge on his conscious. It’s all in his head… or is it?

The play, written by Luke Cheadle, is the first of its kind from the Octavius Theatre Company, a new drama troupe made up of actors from the Blackpool Tower Dungeon. It stars Dan Wilson as Henvry VIII and Luke Berryman as Will Summers; Emily Hobbs as Anne Boleyn and Chloe Hindle as Catherine of Aragon.

Company director Billie Hindle, who also appears in the play as Henry VIII’s doctor, said: “We all met through our work at the Blackpool Tower Dungeon. Me and Luke Cheadle were on our way home one day; I had just got a rejection for a rolee I had auditioned for and I was a bit down in the dumps about it, and Luke suggested we should put on our own plays, and it snowballed from there.

"We have got a great network of actors at the Dungeon, but we have rarely put on our own performances.

"The idea sprung to life in September 2021, and we were made official one month later.

"We have been properly rehearsing for two and a half months, so it has been quite a fast process. In December we weren't sure what was happening with Covid-19, but as it became clear that the Government wasn't going to shut things down again, we decided to crack on.

"Since then, it has been quite intensive. It has been quite rewarding and stressful at times, but we're now feeling very excited. There's a few nerves flying around, of course, but it's mainly positive.

"Now that everything has fallen into place, we’re all feeling very optimistic and we’re really pleased with the number of tickets we have sold so far. It may not be a lot for a big theatre company, but to us it is amazing.”

The play will run for one night only on Friday, March 11, at the Old Electric on Springfield Road, Blackpool. Tickets cost £5 each.

Billie added: "Blackpool has always had a unique arts scene. We have got the Grand Theatre and pantomimes, but a lot of what is put on is of a certain niche. It's very much seaside town entertainment, although the Grand does sometimes break away and do something different.

"What we want to bring is theatre that focuses on more severe pieces. The Old Electric is very community-orientated, and we have got similar aims; highlighting local talent and getting local voices heard.”

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