West Horsley Place Trust are delighted to be a venue for The Enterlude of the Godly Queen Hester this summer.
A play unperformed since the 16th century!
This lost play from history will be performed by Edward's Boys and we will welcome them on Monday 21 July.
Since 2005, Edward’s Boys (of King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon, a state grammar school, also known as “Shakespeare’s School”) have been performing rarely-seen plays from the repertoire of the early modern boys’ troupes .
In the sixteenth-century, these boy acting troupes grew out of the grammar school system, performing at the royal court and the private houses of the aristocracy.
Edward's Boys have brought back that tradition and explored the history of boys' troupes with performances across the UK. They have toured extensively, by invitation, to many venues over the years. For example, the universities of Oxford, London, Warwick and Cambridge, to Middle Temple Hall, Inner Temple, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe and the RSC Swan.
This rediscovered play dramatizes the biblical story of Esther but can also be seen as a political satire about the fall of Thomas Wolsey, right-hand man of Henry VIII. Written in 1529 by Anonymous, King Assuerus can be seen as Henry, Esther as Katherine of Aragon, and Aman as the disgraced Cardinal.
We look forward to welcoming people to see it performed in the Stone Hall of West Horsley Place which, thanks to recent research, we now know to be a lost Tudor Royal residence.
The performance will be completely free.
We ask people to donate what they can on the day. Donations will be shared between the Edward's Boys and West Horsley Place Trust.
We ask visitors to reserve a free ticket by booking on the website today.
