credit: Sally Faith Photography
What happens when history’s biggest rulers swap crowns for counselling? Monarchs Anonymous at The Other Palace throws Henry VIII, Marie Antoinette and more into a hilarious group therapy session packed with audience participation, sharp wit and royal-sized meltdowns.
By Grace Hatchell, writing from a very unofficial waiting room where Henry VIII’s gone through three biscuits and demanded a fourth wife.
Now then, I’ve delivered gossip to dressing rooms, fan mail to actors and once accidentally pedalled into a rehearsal room dressed as a Victorian postie — but I never thought I’d be knocking on the door of royal group therapy.
Yet here we are.
Monarchs Anonymous is heading to The Other Palace this June and, by heck, it sounds gloriously bonkers in all the right ways. Ceridwen Theatre Company are gathering history’s most notorious rulers together for what can only be described as a counselling session with considerably more crowns and considerably less emotional regulation.
Picture the scene.
Henry VIII sat fidgeting in his chair.
Marie Antoinette trying not to judge the refreshments.
Charles II probably enjoying himself far too much.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, therapist Dr Thompson attempting to stop centuries of royal ego exploding like an overfilled Yorkshire pudding.
The production stars viral historian Dr Kat Marchant — known to many from Reading the Past and followed by more than 180,000 history lovers online — stepping into the therapist’s chair for what promises to be a historical breakdown unlike any school textbook ever dared imagine.
Joining the royal mayhem are William Harry Mitchell as Henry VIII, Harriet Sharmini Smithers as suffragette and Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, George Eggay as Mansa Musa, Joshua Poole as Charles II and sisters Helena and Nadia Devereux sharing the role of Marie Antoinette.
And if you’re wondering whether this is dusty history wrapped in polite theatre manners — absolutely not.
This Welsh production promises audience participation, quick-fire comedy and enough pace to drag history “kicking and screaming” into the modern world. Co-writer Joshua Poole says the show began as a lockdown YouTube project before growing into a full stage production, cheekily judging historical figures by modern standards — something historians usually tell us not to do. Their answer?
“We can and we have!”
Now Grace likes a bit of educational theatre, but I also like theatre that remembers audiences enjoy laughing until their tea nearly comes out their nose — and Monarchs Anonymous sounds determined to deliver both.
And can we have a little village wave and postal salute to our lovely friends at Chloé Nelkin Consulting too—always keeping Grace’s satchel busy with theatrical goodies and the occasional royal-sized surprises.
Monarchs Anonymous runs at The Other Palace from 23–28 June, with press night on 24 June at 8pm. Early bird tickets are £15 until 31 May before rising to £18. Running time is 90 minutes.
Honestly? If history lessons had involved this much chaos, half of us would’ve paid far more attention.
Tickets are available from
https://theotherpalace.co.uk/monarchs-anonymous-2/
Price: £15 for early bird tickets until 31st May
Then £18
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