ShowBiz Ireland has posted some photos of several of the actors in costume for their roles in “The Tudors”, currently filming for the US channel Showtime. Above are Sam Neill as Cardinal Wolsey and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a young Henry VIII.
Folks in England in July will have a chance to experience Elizabethan life in Cornwall:
Experience Elizabethan life with the Newman family.It’s July 15th 1581 and the Newman’s are at home in their cottage near the waterside at Saltash, Cornwall, proud that their young daughter, Mary, has married the now famous seafarer, Francis Drake.
However day-to-day Elizabethan life must go on, and you can experience how things might have been for the Newman family at a special open day at their old home in Culver Road, Saltash. Just to enter the simple portals of this 15th century building and breathe in the air of history is guaranteed to transport you back in time.
Join Mrs. Newman at work in the kitchen, or creating some blackwork in the upper rooms, before taking a leisurely look around the garden with the head of the house discovering plants of the age and how they were used in everyday life. If you want to relax you can take in the fabulous river views whilst being serenaded by the period musicians, as the children dress up in clothes of the period and enjoy games such as Cup and Ball or Nine Man Morris.
It’s a fun history lesson and a great day out and it all happens on Saturday July 15th at Mary Newman’s Cottage, Culver Road, Saltash from mid-day until 4.00 p.m. Adult admission is just £2.00 each and children can enjoy the fun for £1.00 each. For more information about the event or how to help contact 07767 444816.
A lot of news alerts came in overnight with the news that Natalie Portman and Eric Bana are in negotiations to play Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII in the big screen version of Philippa Gregory’s “The Other Boleyn Girl”. I had previously heard Keira Knightly’s name bandied about for Anne, which I thought was a good choice, but I’m sure Portman will be good as well. Star Wars fans might remember that the two actresses shared the role of Queen Amidala and the handmaid/bodyguard/decoy in Episode I “The Phantom Menace”.
Here are links to some of the articles that came up with my Google news alerts:
‘Boleyn’ turns heads – Variety
Portman and Bana flirting with ‘Boleyn’ – Hollywood Reporter
Off with her head! – Empire
Eric Bana to play King Henry VIII – Moviehole
I haven’t seen any photos of it yet, but I’ll search around and post any if I find them.
The magic of modern 3D imaging has resurrected Henry VIII’s fabulous “hunting lodge”. KEVIN BARNES reports.
Several problems surfaced as Anthony Spreadborough began recreating the stuccoed palace that stood in the 16th century as an elaborate monument to Henry VIII’s ambition.
From The Times Online:
An image of Elizabeth I as a teenager — one of two painted during her lifetime — has emerged from beneath centuries of incompetent touching up by later artists.
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Although the portrait was known to portray Elizabeth, it was thought to be an insignificant copy from the 18th or 19th century.
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The importance of the painting, which will be on sale at the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair this week for £800,000, was discovered by Philip Mould, an art dealer and specialist in historical portraits.
And from The Telegraph (with image)
A rare portrait depicting Elizabeth I as a vulnerable teenager rather than a powerful queen has been rediscovered by an expert more than 450 years after it was painted.
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The picture by an unknown artist is only the second known portrait of Elizabeth as a young princess – the other is in the Royal Collection – and projects a softer image very different from the later paintings showing her as a strong monarch.
Here is a link to the original portrait that this one is copied from.
From The Australian:
Sections of the King’s Table, a symbol of royal power until it was smashed by Oliver Cromwell, have been found beneath the floor of the Palace of Westminster.
The elaborately carved stone table was used by kings and queens from the 13th century for coronation feasts and state banquets but disappeared under Puritan rule.
The table was still around in Tudor times and Henry VIII used it for the wedding feasts after the marriages to Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn.
It’s quite possible that I am the only person in the world excited about this. I’ve been a fan of Sting for a long time and I love Renaissance music, so this should be fun. From Sting’s website:
… album featuring the music of acclaimed Elizabethan songwriter, John Dowland (1563-1626). Sting is joined on this recording by much-admired lutenist Edin Karamazov, in what he describes as “a soundtrack to Dowland’s life in words and music”. ‘Songs from the Labyrinth’ will appear on Deutsche Grammophon, the world’s most celebrated classical-music record-label.
The full article is available here.
I’m pleased to announce that Wendy J. Dunn’s Tudor Ghost Story Contest (formerlly at Suite101) is now underway and I’m proud to be hosting it at this site. All the details, including past winners, are available here.
To follow up on a post I made back in February, the British Library has now succeeded in aquiring My Ladye Nevells Booke, one of the finest Tudor music manuscripts.
After reading the description, I think I’m already dreading this, but I’ll reserve final judgement until I actually see it…
From World Screen:
The one-hour The Secret Life of Elizabeth I: Revealed will examine the gossip, scandal and rumor surrounding the so-called Virgin Queen’s claims throughout her life that she never consummated a relationship with a man. It is based on the book of the same name by historian and historical novelist Dr. Paul Doherty and investigates the possibility that Elizabeth not only enjoyed a sexual relationship with close childhood friend Robert Dudley, but that she bore him a secret lovechild.
Another article, from Regional Film & Video Industrial News
