Henry VIII, London, His Majesty's Theatre, 1910.

Tree attempted near complete recreation of the original settings and costumes of the events in the script, as in this scene at Cardinal Wolsey's Feast. The cast numbered 172 performers, and the stage was dazzlingly over-lighted - intended according to Tree "to put upon the stage as gorgeous and complete a picture as the resources of the theatre could supply." (Tree, Thoughts, 61). He succeeded according to the reviewer "Modred" in Playgoer and Society Illustrated II.12:

"The meeting of Anne Bullen and the King in the great hall of Wolsey's Palace - a magnificent bit of stage architecture - is an opportunity for a great spectacular display, and the scene is prolonged with feasting, singing and dancing. Once the King has dlscarded the shepherd's costume, in which he enters along with the other maskers who claim the hospitality of the Cardinal, he is soon engaged in the pursuit of Anne, to which he addresses himself without any restraint, whilst Wolsey, silent and pensive, looks on frowningly."

The production was filmed in 1911 and led the way for subsequent Tudor-costume screen epics. For a close-up of the extraordinary costumes of Anne and Henry in this scene, see the picture at the end of "Publications" under "About Us." Other Henry VIII pictures are at Gallery 3.33-36, Gallery 6.26, and Gallery 9.17-24. HMR