Woke theatre bosses slap a trigger warning on Anne Boleyn play as they caution audiences show will feature 'execution by beheading'

Woke theatre bosses have slapped a trigger warning on a new play about Anne Boleyn, which warns audiences that the show will feature 'execution by beheading'.

The second wife of King Henry VIII was famously executed in May 1536 after being accused of and found guilty of treason, adultery and incest, with the former Queen of England being one of the most globally recognised figures who met their end by decapitation. 

However, despite this, theatre bosses issued a caution to theatregoers ahead of them watching Anne Boleyn: The Musical, which is set to run at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich in 2027. 

A content warning, featured on many theatre websites, reads: 'This open-air production features depictions of female oppression, false accusations, emotional distress and miscarriage, culminating in Anne’s imprisonment and execution by beheading.'

In the wake of the warning, a source told The Sun: 'Nobody going to a play about Anne Boleyn expects her to ride off into the sunset, so why do we need these silly warnings about oppression and her head getting chopped off? 

'Frankly, it’s treating theatre audiences like a bunch of court jesters.'

Henry and Anne formally married in January 1533 – a move which resulted in the Pope excommunicating Henry and him consequently taking control of the Church of England.

But it was ultimately not a happy marriage after Boleyn failed to produce a male heir.

In order to marry again he needed a reason to end his marriage to Anne and she was investigated for high treason and sent to the Tower of London.

Her beheading in the Tower of London followed the miscarriage of a male child, and increasing clashes with Thomas Cromwell who is blamed for orchestrating the charges against her after engineering the break from the Catholic Church.

Producers for the show promise theatre fans an 'epic' retelling of Anne's tumultuous life, with the synopsis including: 'Ambitious. Ahead of her time. From her early years to her rise to the throne, Anne Boleyn: The Musical tells the story of a woman determined to shape her own destiny. But in Tudor England, a woman with ideas could be dangerous.'

The news follows other shocking woke trigger warnings that have plagued TV shows, movies and productions of late.

In January, 1978 film Grease was slapped with a trigger warning by ITV due to its scenes of 'teenage misbehaviour'.

Starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, the film features discussions about virginity, teenage pregnancy and many would argue nowadays that some scenes and songs trivialise the issue of consent. 

Also in January,  the Fawlty Towers stage show shared a warning for 'adult themes and controversial topics', including the use of bad language and violence.

The Leeds Heritage Theatre issued a trigger alert for the comedy show, which previously ran on London's West End and was heading on tour across the UK.

Meanwhile, one of the most popular Hollywood musicals of all time West Side Story was reclassified as a 12 certificate after 40 years of being a PG.

The British Board of Film Classification identified a number of themes and scenes which it considers triggering for younger viewers, and so raised the age rating for the home entertainment release.

One warning is for sexism and 'occasional transphobic remarks' – thought to centre around 'tomboy' Anybodys, a character who is now accepted as being transgender and is told to 'go wear a skirt'.

Another warns of 'moderate violence, sexual threat [and] discrimination'. It also notes that 'characters occasionally smoke cigarettes and there are verbal references to alcohol addiction', as well as people being 'stabbed with clear sight of knife impact, though there is no blood', and somebody being shot.

Released in cinemas in 1961, the retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is the tragic love story of Maria and Tony, members of rival gangs who rule the Upper West Side of New York. 

Elsewhere, in April, Trainspotting: The Musical was hit with 'woke nonsense' trigger warning telling audiences that stage adaption of the iconic heroin addict movie featured drugs.