A momentous occasion in the easing of lockdown, I can finally announce that my Henry VIII character is back on the road! Yes, he’ll be appearing in Dunstable on Saturday 15th May, and I cannot wait to get back into character.  

I’ll be working with the simply wonderful people of Dunstable Town Council. I have the most amazing relationship with them and they consider me to be their official town crier – what an accolade! The eagle-eyed people of Dunstable might recognise me as I also play their festive Father Christmas every year.

Of course, the original Henry VIII visited Dunstable many times, and it was in his absence that Archbishop Cranmer annulled the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon at Dunstable Priory. This meant his more recent marriage to Anne Boleyn was now legal and she could be coronated.  

Looking back through the years I have taken Henry VIII to Birmingham, Glastonbury, Swindon and all over London, including Camden, Wimbledon and The Gherkin. You might remember the Jubilee Tour he went on in 2012, in recognition of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee? With the Platinum Jubilee coming up this year, I hope Henry VIII can make more appearances across the nation!