A great one-woman show dramatising a key night in the life of Katherine Parr, the last of Henry VIII's wives and the only one to survive him. Alison Neil began her professional acting career in 1978 and has appeared in many West End plays. This is the first in a series of appearances at the Arts Centre.
Directed by Barrie Wilmore "Henry VIII had six wives…" one of the few historical facts most of us remember from our schooldays. But why did he marry so many times? And who was that shadowy figure, Katherine Parr - the sixth wife who survived him? "THE SIXTH WIFE" is set in the night, as Katherine Parr waits for her husband the King to die. She takes the opportunity to reflect on her extraordinary life, and the reign of the glorious, tyrannical - and tragic - Henry VIII. Katherine Parr saw each of his wives as they came and went - in a variety of unpleasant ways.
About Alison Neil
Alison Neil began her professional acting career in 1978.
Before embarking on her one-woman shows, she appeared in many
theatre productions including the national tour and West End production of Stoppard's Rosencrantz And Guildernstern Are Dead (playing Ophelia), and the national tour, West End and Canadian production of Little Lies (with Sir John Mills) playing Beattie Thomlinson.
Other theatre roles include Elvira in Blithe Spirit, Mrs De Winter in Rebecca, Cecily in The Importance Of Being Earnest, Maria in The School For Scandal, Kitty in Ayckbourn's Taking Steps and Connie in Allan Bennett's Habeus Corpus. She has also worked extensively in children's theatre, including many productions at the Polka Children's Theatre, London and for Krazy Kat Theatre.
Alison has worked for BBC radio and appeared in a number of television productions.
Her first one-woman play Bella - The Story Of Mrs Beeton opened in 1988 and toured until 2002. The huge success of this first play created a demand for a succession of one-woman shows.
"an extraordinary one-woman show...such was the power of Alison Neil's performance that I am convinced I now know Mrs Beeton personally"
Paul Heiney - THE TIMES
"A totally rivetting performance…which deserves to become a theatre classic" LYNN NEWS
become a theatre classic" LYNN NEWS
"Worthy of Joyce Grenfell" OXFORD MAIL
'Comparable with the one-woman performances of the great Ruth Draper" LYNN NEWS
"…the linguistic power of Alison Neil's script and her mesmeric performance of it" HALSTEAD GAZETTE
Both Bella - The Story Of Mrs Beeton and The Just-William Lady were adapted for BBC Radio 4 and broadcast in 2001.
Her skills as a writer and historical researcher led to a second career producing scripts and brochures for visitor attractions such as RAF Upper Heyford, Newhaven Fort, Tonbridge Castle, "The 1066 Story" and "A Smugglers Adventure" (both in Hastings), plus historical information for large scale events such as the VE Day Celebrations in Hyde Park, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Pageant in London and many Royal Tournaments and other royal and military events.
She has also been a member of Past Pleasures, interpreting medieval history at the Tower of London and working on special events as a historical interpreter.
Alison lives in a secluded farmhouse on a hilltop in South Wales with her husband, David Collison, who has directed her three most recent one-woman plays.
