LADIES IN WAITING: THE JUDGEMENT OF HENRY VIII Set for Edinburgh Fringe

After a successful London premiere, Tier 5 Theatre Project is excited to bring award-winning playwright James Cougar Canfield's new play, LADIES IN WAITING: THE JUDGEMENT OF HENRY VIII to the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Performing at theSpace on the Mile (5- 27 August), LADIES IN WAITING is a sexy, heartbreaking, humorous, and dark exploration of Henry VIII and his relationships with the women in his life... with a feminist twist.

Workshopped, performed, and produced by graduates of East 15 Acting School's MA Acting and MFA Acting International programs, LADIES IN WAITING finds King Henry VIII in a purgatory-like situation, where one by one he must face off with each of his wives. Through dark humour, devastating truths, sexy seductions, and powerful revelations, Henry comes face to face with what his legacy has become: one entirely defined by women.

A critical success during its London run this past spring, LADIES IN WAITING was awarded a four-star rating by Female Arts Magazine, as well as being described as a "truly powerful historical drama" (LastMinute.com) and having "a bright future... when it goes up to Edinburgh for the festival" (Lonodon Theatre 1).

As a playwright, Canfield is the previous winner of the Texas Educators Theatre Association's Playfest Award, shortlisted for North Carolina ArtCenter's 10 by 10 in the Triangle Award, and recognized as the top playwright in the Tony Award winning Alley Theatre's Houston Young Playwright Exchange. Many of his plays have been produced regionally throughout the United States. Canfield will also appear in the production as the king himself, Henry VIII.

"It's exciting to premiere a new work that gives a different and deeper perspective to these women, who are often regarded as nothing more than a list, nothing more than a historical footnote," said Canfield, in regards to his new play. "It's not only a play about how Henry treated his wives, but what happens when men devalue women."

Henry's wives will be portrayed by: Hilary Kelman (Catherine of Aragon), Wendy Kenney (Anne Boleyn), Jessica McClellan (Jane Seymour), Kaitlin Gould (Anne of Cleves), Margaret Gorrell (Catherine Howard), and Kimberly Hoffman (Katherine Parr).

Directed by Mitchell Glass, a MFA Directing graduate at East 15 Acting School, LADIES IN WAITING will perform at theSpace on the Mile, Theatre 2 (V39) 5- 27 August 2016 at 9:45pm (Sundays dark). Tickets on sale now at edfringe.com.