Henry VIII | Globe

See the story of Henry VIII from a female perspective as Shakespeare’s exploration of love, lineage and power, co-written with John Fletcher, unfolds in the Globe Theatre this Summer.

You know the story: a King who turns his country upside down to try and secure a male heir. But it’s never been told this way before…

A Queen fights for justice. A Lady provokes reformation. But in the absence of a son, can a Princess change the future?

Amy Hodge (Women Beware Women, Globe) directs this production which sees the Globe’s 2022 Resident Writer Hannah Khalil (A Museum in Baghdad) become Shakespeare and Fletcher’s third collaborator.

'Who knows yet But from this Lady may proceed a gem To lighten all this isle' Act II, scene 3

During the Tudor period, there were five rulers, but it's likely you'll think of Henry VIII as synonymous with Tudor history. The monarch changed the future of British history and English politics, eventually establishing the Church of England. His six marriages are heavily documented too, but how did women view the ruler? Find out more about the Tudor era in Henry VIII at Shakespeare's Globe. Book Henry VIII tickets in London on TodayTix.

Most people know Henry VIII’s marriages through the phrase: “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” The King transformed his country, but everything went upside down in the process. In trying to secure a male heir, he wedded three women, and the third wife, Jane Seymour, died in childbirth while giving birth to Edward.

At the same time, Tudor women fight for justice and dare to speak out. In this Henry VIII play, women try to change the future, but it’s a hard ask. Discover how Henry VIII ruled over Tudor Britain with a contemporary perspective.

Book Henry VIII tickets in London on TodayTix.

What to Watch For

• William Shakespeare didn’t write Henry VIII by himself. He co-wrote the history play with his frequent collaborator, John Fletcher. The 17th-century dramatist served as writer for the King’s Men, Shakespeare’s acting company.
• Henry VIII in London isn’t the only show which assesses the Tudor monarch through a female lens. Six at the Vaudeville Theatre sees Henry’s six wives take to the mic to reclaim their story. Maybe you could see Henry VIII and Six on the same day?
• Shakespeare’s Globe writer-in-residence, Hannah Khalil, adapts Henry VIII for the London stage in 2022.
• Shakespeare’s Globe celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022.