One can remember King Henry VIII’s wives with the rhyme, “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived,” based on their ultimate fates. However, many would not be able to state anything else about the “survivor,” Catherine Parr, other than the very fact that she was Henry’s final wife.
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s (RMTC) latest production places Parr front and centre in the play The Last Wife. Written by Kate Hennig and directed by Cherissa Richards, it follows Parr, known as Kate, as she agrees to marry Henry on her own terms, asserting her own agency and fighting for the rights of Henry’s daughters, Mary and Bess. The play reimagines these historical figures through a “contemporary lens.”
“[Kate is] this smart, confident and passionate woman who’s thrust into this world of intense competition, in a world that is rife with threat, with the threat of violence, and the lure of deceit,” said Richards. “Every choice she makes, even getting married to Henry, could send her to an early grave because you never know with King Henry VIII.”
Richards graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a degree in theatre and has worked as an actor for over 20 years, appearing in shows such as Sense and Sensibility and The Mountaintop. She began directing in 2015, something that she said happened by accident.
“I had been touring a kids’ show with MTYP [Manitoba Theatre for Young People], and we were touring in Montreal with [a co-production] with [MTYP] and Black Theatre Workshop,” she explained.
Having been with the production for many years, Richards was asked if she wanted to direct MTYP’s production of The Power of Harriet T! At first, she resisted.
“I turned them down flat,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘No, no, I’m an actor. I’m not a director.’ And then […] I thought about it, and I was like, ‘Oh, should I do this?’ And a friend of mine, who was a director, I called him and asked his advice, and he was like, ‘Yeah, give it a whirl. I think you might like it.’”
Richards took the leap and has not looked back since. After spending time interning for and assisting experienced directors, she eventually began to direct on her own, leading to jobs across the country and winning two Dora Awards for her work on Red Velvet.
As a director, Richards expressed that she loves collaborating with and nurturing other artists.
“The thing I love most about directing is the collaboration process […] Being of service to artists, as a director, is something that I am really passionate about,” she reflected.
In her approach to directing The Last Wife, Richards has focused on creating an opulent atmosphere, befitting the play’s setting and themes. She aimed to convey the setting as a “billionaire’s playground” and blend a contemporary look with nods to the Tudor era.
“I just wanted [it] to be […] a very dark and oppressive world, and danger lies around every corner. But we have this brave woman who is in a man’s world daring to make change,” she said. “So the juxtaposition of this beautiful, feminine woman who is passionate, but is in Henry’s dark, oppressive world, and how she manoeuvres through that […] was my inspiration for where I wanted to start with the play.”
Richards has loved working with the cast and crew of the production. She highlighted the design work done by Brian Perchaluk (set design), Hugh Conacher (lighting), Torquil Campbell (composer and sound designer) and Joseph Abetria (costumes).
Amelia Sargisson leads the cast of The Last Wife as Kate. Richards praised her work in the role, saying, “[Sargisson] is just a phenom of an actor. She’s so incredibly connected, her connection to her craft is just excellent.”
Alongside Sargisson in the cast are Sébastien Heins as Thom, Blake Beachell as Eddie (the future King Edward VI), Katie Welham as Bess (the future Queen Elizabeth I) and two U of M alumni, Desautels alumna Julie Lumsden as Mary (the future Queen Mary I) and faculty of education alumnus Cory Wojcik as King Henry.
“I’m so lucky,” said Richards. “We have an exceptional, exceptional cast.”
In casting, Richards highlighted the complexity in the actors’ interpretations of roles, noting that some, like Wojcik, are playing against type.
“[Wojcik] is a Winnipeg favourite and has played lots of silly, goofy, funny characters on our stages […] We’re getting to see a real darker side of him,” Richards commented.
The Last Wife has received acclaim during its run so far. On RMTC’s website, one audience member called it “one of the best this year,” while another said, “I was captivated from beginning to end.”
When asked what she thought audiences would love about the production, Richards highlighted the mix of dark drama and humour, calling it one of the most dangerous and sexy shows to be staged on RMTC’s stage in some time.
As for what she hopes audiences will take away, Richards said that they can expect to be challenged by the show’s perspective on events.
“I really want audiences to come away with how personal it is, how daring it is, and that it will challenge them,” Richards stated. “The playwright is challenging the audience to see things in different ways. That’s going to be exciting and maybe a little scary at times.”
RMTC’s production of The Last Wife runs through April 18 at the John Hirsch Mainstage. For tickets and more information, visit royalmtc.ca.
