Divorced, Beheaded, Died : An Audience with King Henry VIII

Divorced, Beheaded, Died, presented by Select Society Theatre Company, written by John White, performed by Jack Abbot.

‘The year is 1544 and King Henry, the Eighth of that name, is engaged upon Royal Progress about his Realm; and has halted here to afford his Loyal Subjects the opportunity to have ‘audience’ with their Sovereign Lord and King.

The King, recently married to his new, and sixth, wife, Queen Catherine Parr, is in poor health; his leg continues to cause him considerable pain and he is often in a poor humour!
In the course of the ‘audience’, His Majesty will recount the events of his long reign; telling of his wives and his children, and His Majesty will invite his Loyal Subjects to Petition him or question him on ANY related subject : a lively Q&A is assured !

What has been said about the show – here are just a few comments:

An intimate evening with the most famous monarch that ever lived …. in all his splendour, the noble tyrant …. Jack Abbot was awesome from the minute he stepped into the room …. to the end of a performance of sheer magnificence …. he played the King with great presence …. he poignantly embodies Henry VIII  …. a sheer delight, a must for history lovers or just for those that want to meet England’s most notorious monarch ‘up close and personal’

Jan Mellor – for ‘North West End’ 2024 

“Jack Abbot looks the picture of Henry VIII …. an imposing figure ….great presence …. poignant ….  Abbot is a powerhouse and embodies Henry VIII perfectly …. he is fun to watch”

​Simon Topping – Brighton Festival Fringe 2021

“….what a superb show! It was hard to believe we were not in the presence of the formidable monarch himself …. a pitch-perfect performance …. the audience were enthralled …. by this talented and impressive actor…. do not miss a chance to see such a first-class performance”

Ann Ellison, BEM, Artistic Director, The Mission Theatre, Bath 

“I was at the Etcetera Theatre (Camden, London) to watch John White perform as King Henry VIII ….it was more than a pleasure, it was an absolute privilege to watch him. He encapsulated the role …. it was a profound and poignant performance ….the brilliance of the show…. Inspirational and meaningful….an incredibly special performance”

Juls Stodel – Social Influencer & ‘Blogger’ 

“…. magnetic performance ….. excellent script…… (you) would truly believe that they were ‘in the presence’ of Henry Vlll …… ”

Stuart Newton, Artistic Director, Heron Theatre, Cumbria

“…. absolutely fantastic…. simply brilliant”

Karen Read, Manager Seagull Theatre, Ipswich

“What a fantastic evening …. it was difficult not to imagine that King Henry VIII had not been resurrected and had really come to see us, such was the quality of the performance” 

Nigel Palmer, Chair of ‘The Market Bosworth Society’

“…. Jack Abbot played this angry King perfectly …. his acting and word-perfect delivery held the audience spellbound.”

Ann Evans, Elementary Whatson

Audience age guidance 12+