Rarely staged Henry VIII must-see theatre

“Goad is particularly effective demonstrating both the reflective and more troubled sides of the monarch as he contends with his wife’s failure to produce a male heir to the throne who will carry on the Tudor dynasty.

A deeply religious man, he questions the decision to marry his late brother’s wife, wondering whether God is punishing him by denying him a son. Goad’s intriguing characterization is one painted with shades of complexity, anger, grief and, ultimately, joy at the birth of his daughter Elizabeth, the future Elizabeth I.”