John Heywood’s 'The Play of the Weather' is the exemplary court drama from the reign of Henry VIII. It was performed at Hampton Court Palace in 2009 by theatre production company Schtanhaus and directed by Gregory Thompson.
In this play, Heywood makes fun of everyone, courtiers and lords, gentlewomen and laundresses, millers and merchants. In the process, it mocks and simultaneously celebrates Henry VIII and his court.
The following events on 'The Play of the Weather' are part of a collaborative research project, Staging the Henrician Court, with Oxford Brookes University.
Tuesday 23 February
12.30pm – 1.30pm
Gregory Thompson will be holding a workshop on the differences between Heywood’s drama and Shakespeare’s.
Thursday 25 February
12.30pm – 1.30pm
Professor Thomas Betteridge will be giving a lecture on the historical context of Heywood’s play in the fraught years of 1532-33.
Tuesday 2 March
12.30pm – 1.30pm
Dr Eleanor Rycroft will be discussing the text of 'The Play of the Weather' and in particular its depiction of two female characters, the Gentlewoman and the Laundress.
