05.07.2023
Written by Donna Taylor, photo by Natasha Sinton.
As York Theatre Royal eagerly anticipates C.J. Sansom’s Sovereign coming to the stage, we sat down with two volunteers treading the boards in this epic Tudor murder mystery.
The year is 1541 and Henry VIII is on progress, arriving in the City of York, with a great retinue of lords and ladies. Amongst the pomp and pageantry – the atmosphere is tense, especially when a body is found in mysterious circumstances.
The investigation into the death of a local glazier engulfs lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his trusted servant, Jack Barak, into a dangerous world of intrigue and conspiracy – where the wrong words or actions can lead to dire consequences. With the Tudor throne itself under threat and the shadow of treason looming large, can Shardlake and Barak uncover the truth and emerge from the line of fire unscathed?
Playing the characters of Lady Rochford and Simon Craike respectively, Emma Blackstone and Liam Godfrey reveal what inspired them to get involved in this community production set in the heart of York and what makes Sovereign so exciting for everyone taking part.
What made you want to get involved in Sovereign?
Emma: “For me, it’s about meeting people from all walks of life and stepping outside your day job to be part of something exciting. There is so much talent involved in these productions and with the costumes and props, you can immerse yourself in a different world.”
Liam: “This is a play set in York against the backdrop of real-life events, so it’s wonderful to not only tell the story but also help add to that legacy too. The fact it’s being staged at King’s Manor, a place so integral to the history of York, makes it even more special.”
Have you been part of previous YTR productions before?
Emma: “Yes, I have although, more recently I was part of the choir but I missed acting and began to crave being back on stage again!”
Liam: “This is my sixth production but previously had no more than a few lines to learn so this is the biggest play I’ve been a part of. It’s something of a challenge but I am thoroughly enjoying it so far.”
What are you most looking forward to?
Emma: “I think I’m just excited to see how everything comes together, you invest a lot of time working on these productions and there is so much work involved, so it will be really interesting to see how everything meshes into the final production.”
Liam: “Opening night is only around the corner, so there is a lot of build-up and we have a full-on week with technical rehearsals, so I’m eager to get out there and just put on that first performance!”
(Question for Emma) You play Lady Rochford, a rather controversial figure in the period. Were you very familiar with her before you took the part?
Emma: “Tudor history was not an area I was overly knowledgeable about but I was very drawn to her character and she is incredibly fun to play. She is a woman very preoccupied with her status as Lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine and determined to maintain her influence and power at court.”
(Question for Liam) Craike is not a historical figure, so did this make it harder to play not having other references aside from the novel?
Liam: “I think it benefited me that I had previously read the book so understood his place as a ‘grey man’. He is very ambiguous, you get the sense he is a great planner of events, hardworking and efficient but it remains to be seen if he is one of life’s heroes or villains!”
Would you have liked to have lived in York during Tudor times?
Liam: “I don’t think I’d have liked to have lived anywhere during Tudor times! It was a harsh world, particularly if you lived in the North. At the time this play is set, the area is very much reeling from the aftermath of The Pilgrimage of Grace, a rebellion that saw savage reprisals from the crown. Henry VIII was not popular in the North; the area having suffered both economically and emotionally from the dissolution of the monasteries.”
Emma: “The novel is so descriptive of the period, you get a sense of the sights and smells in the city. It was hostile to outsiders, so probably a dangerous place to walk around, especially if you were from the South.”
What advice would you give to someone thinking of volunteering for a community production like Sovereign?
Liam: “Go for it! It’s a brilliant experience and a great opportunity to meet new people and really connect with the community. I would say too that it’s important to know if you have the time to invest in the production as it is a commitment with rehearsal times/learning lines etc.”
Emma: “If you have a skill or talent, be it acting, singing, costume design – you can get involved. I’ve made lots of friends and made life-long memories that I will treasure, so it is really worth it.”
You might also be interested in...
Sign Up to Our Emails
Stay In The Loop
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cf_use_ob | past | Cloudflare sets this cookie to improve page load times and to disallow any security restrictions based on the visitor's IP address. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
CookieLawInfoConsent | 1 year | CookieYes sets this cookie to record the default button state of the corresponding category and the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
__cf_bm | 30 minutes | This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. |
_dc_gtm_UA-* | 1 minute | Google Analytics sets this cookie to load the Google Analytics script tag. |
yt-player-bandwidth | never | The yt-player-bandwidth cookie is used to store the user's video player preferences and settings, particularly related to bandwidth and streaming quality on YouTube. |
yt-player-headers-readable | never | The yt-player-headers-readable cookie is used by YouTube to store user preferences related to video playback and interface, enhancing the user's viewing experience. |
yt-remote-cast-available | session | The yt-remote-cast-available cookie is used to store the user's preferences regarding whether casting is available on their YouTube video player. |
yt-remote-cast-installed | session | The yt-remote-cast-installed cookie is used to store the user's video player preferences using embedded YouTube video. |
yt-remote-fast-check-period | session | The yt-remote-fast-check-period cookie is used by YouTube to store the user's video player preferences for embedded YouTube videos. |
yt-remote-session-app | session | The yt-remote-session-app cookie is used by YouTube to store user preferences and information about the interface of the embedded YouTube video player. |
yt-remote-session-name | session | The yt-remote-session-name cookie is used by YouTube to store the user's video player preferences using embedded YouTube video. |
ytidb::LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY | never | The cookie ytidb::LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY is used by YouTube to store the last search result entry that was clicked by the user. This information is used to improve the user experience by providing more relevant search results in the future. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
SRM_B | 1 year 24 days | Used by Microsoft Advertising as a unique ID for visitors. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_clck | 1 year | Microsoft Clarity sets this cookie to retain the browser's Clarity User ID and settings exclusive to that website. This guarantees that actions taken during subsequent visits to the same website will be linked to the same user ID. |
_clsk | 1 day | Microsoft Clarity sets this cookie to store and consolidate a user's pageviews into a single session recording. |
_ga | 2 years | The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. |
_ga_* | 1 year 1 month 4 days | Google Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views. |
_ga_GJDC5XBVGP | 2 years | This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. |
_gat_UA-* | 1 minute | Google Analytics sets this cookie for user behaviour tracking. |
_gat_UA-91938992-12 | 1 minute | A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. |
_gcl_au | 3 months | Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. |
_gid | 1 day | Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. |
CLID | 1 year | Microsoft Clarity set this cookie to store information about how visitors interact with the website. The cookie helps to provide an analysis report. The data collection includes the number of visitors, where they visit the website, and the pages visited. |
CONSENT | 2 years | YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. |
iutk | 5 months 27 days | This cookie is used by Issuu analytic system to gather information regarding visitor activity on Issuu products. |
MR | 7 days | This cookie, set by Bing, is used to collect user information for analytics purposes. |
SM | session | Microsoft Clarity cookie set this cookie for synchronizing the MUID across Microsoft domains. |
vuid | 2 years | Vimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos to the website. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_dlt | 1 day | Zendesk set this cookie to create a unique ID for the session. This enables the website to collect data on visitor behaviour for statistical purposes. |
_fbp | 3 months | This cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website. |
ANONCHK | 10 minutes | The ANONCHK cookie, set by Bing, is used to store a user's session ID and verify ads' clicks on the Bing search engine. The cookie helps in reporting and personalization as well. |
fr | 3 months | Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. |
IDE | 1 year 24 days | Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. |
MUID | 1 year 24 days | Bing sets this cookie to recognise unique web browsers visiting Microsoft sites. This cookie is used for advertising, site analytics, and other operations. |
test_cookie | past | The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. |
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | 5 months 27 days | A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. |
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA | 6 months | YouTube sets this cookie to store the user's cookie consent state for the current domain. |
YSC | session | YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. |
yt-remote-connected-devices | never | YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. |
yt-remote-device-id | never | YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. |
yt.innertube::nextId | never | YouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. |
yt.innertube::requests | never | YouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_cfuvid | session | Description is currently not available. |
_dc_gtm_UA-741924-7 | 1 minute | No description |
cf_clearance | 1 year | Description is currently not available. |
CookieDetection | session | No description available. |
SessionId | session | Description is currently not available. |