A man dressed in tights and sprawled out across a bed in the centre of a room isn't exactly what I was expecting to see, but then again, it was a performance set in Tudor times. It was the Red Rose Chain's 'Fallen In Love' show at Gippeswyk Hall in Ipswich about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, starting Emma Connell as Anne, and Scott Ellis as her brother, George - it was one of their first performances when I came bundling in with my notepad and pen.
The audience of about three dozen sat down in a small square room with the four-post bed in the middle, and chairs around the outside. The bed was covered in red velvet sheets, and the man was writing a letter of sorts. Mumbles of the crowd died down, the lights focused in on the middle and the music became muffled; the audience instantly became engaged with the scene, which started with George attempting (and, woefully, failing) to sing, before his stage partner Anne leapt into the staging area. The brother and sister enjoyed gossiping, their performance, even in the beginning of the play, was strong and powerful, and they moved about as much as possible around the small pathway surrounding the edges of the bed.
As they playfully quarrel about marriage, and the vices and virtues that come with it, Anne and George discuss how 'the King has noticed her'. The sibling connection was portrayed strongly through their acting, and through the following scenes, not a line was stuttered or shaken, the emotions stood strong on their faces - humour, agony, sadness and joy were all shown with such passion.
Progressing through the performance, set over a fifteen-year period, what was once an idea which they lightly mocked, the character Anne gradually began to show feelings of love towards King Henry. Happiness and love from the two characters soon turned to despair and hatred, and as Anne's confidence crumbled, George became desperate to find contentment and to look after his sister; she became more and more engulfed in a Queen's life, and their relationship slowly fell apart as they grappled on to what was left of their family life before Anne's marriage.
Anne's affairs focused more on King Henry rather than her brother, and there was a lot of heartbreak shown throughout the play, mixed with sorrow and short-lived episodes of joy. The way they went from one extreme emotion to another was most extraordinary - Emma Connell's and Scott Ellis' talent never failed to seep through into the performance, and it was thoroughly entertaining. Their soliloquies of acceptance of death and sin at the end, which were aimed at the audience, were hauntingly and remarkably exuberant, as was the whole of the performance. An exciting and must-see show for fringe theatre enthusiasts.
