Red Rose Chain Film & Theatre Company is delighted to announce the launch of FALLEN IN LOVE: the secret heart of Anne Boleyn. This intimate and powerful new play is written and directed by Red Rose Chain’s artistic director Joanna Carrick and performs from 10th May until 5th June.
There will be two performances every evening except Mondays, with a total of 48 shows. FALLEN IN LOVE will also enjoy a showcase performance at the famous Camden Roundhouse in London (home of the BBC Electric Proms).
The year is 1536. Queen Anne Boleyn, the woman who changed the world forever by capturing the heart of a King, faces trial with her brother George for adultery, incest and treason.
Witness a nation irreversibly transformed as the most passionate and decisive events of England’s history unfold in the tense and treacherous crucible of the royal court.
FALLEN IN LOVE will be performed in the grounds of Gippeswyk Hall, Ipswich, Red Rose Chain’s breathtaking new home. The lawn behind the Grade II* listed manor house will play host to a unique theatre tent, as audiences are invited to step inside and experience the sights and sounds of Tudor England.
In casting the principal role of Anne, Red Rose Chain received over one thousand submissions from professional actresses. With the task of portraying such a renowned historical figure, the process of selecting and auditioning prospective candidates has been a challenging and painstaking one, as Red Rose Chain producer David Newborn explains: “Choosing the best actress for the title role was always going to be crucial to the strength and authority of the story. Fortunately we’ve seen many fantastic candidates in this audition process, and as we get close to making our final decision I know that whoever is finally selected will do amazingly well as Anne.”
Red Rose Chain have been producing high-quality films and theatre productions for twenty years. They are known nationally as the team behind the hugely successful THEATRE IN THE FOREST open-air productions which take place in Rendlesham Forest every summer. Last year’s show attracted an audience of over 10,000 and this summer’s production of Twelfth Night is set to be even bigger.
The Ipswich-based not-for-profit company are an independent and self-sustaining organisation who specialise in creating original productions that confront social concerns, often working with overlooked or hard-to-reach groups to create powerful and insightful stories that demand to be told.
Following on from the huge success of THE EBONY BOX, which brought to life the story of slave-trade abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, Red Rose Chain knows that FALLEN IN LOVE will captivate a broad audience with the drama and significance of this important period of English history.
The production is being generously supported in this aim by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
In researching and creating FALLEN IN LOVE, writer/director Joanna Carrick has discovered a fascinating insight into one of English history’s most revered most famous women: “Anne is a person with a story which captures everyone’s imagination. She was intelligent, witty and full of vitality, and this play will bring her to life on stage in a completely new way to inspire audiences.”
An education programme will accompany FALLEN IN LOVE, engaging local secondary schools, colleges and community groups with the play and connecting them to the historical events within the story. In addition, the Red Rose Chain Community Theatre Company have devised THE GUILTLESS GHOST, their own modern adaptation based on the life of Anne Boleyn, and will perform it to accompany the professional production on selected dates of the run. The company uses drama and filmmaking to help people recovering from drug addiction to turn their lives around, and has recently received a major grant award from the Big Lottery Fund to support their work.
The box office for FALLEN IN LOVE opens at 10am on Thursday 10th February. Tickets and further information are available online at www.redrosechain.com or by calling the box office on 01473 603388 (9am to 6pm Mon-Fri).
