Immersive audio experience reveals the untold story of Katharine of Aragon
A powerful new immersive audio experience exploring the fascinating life and legacy of Katharine of Aragon will be staged at Peterborough Cathedral – her last resting place – in January.
KATHARINE will tour selected UK cathedrals, including Peterborough from January 21-23, just before the annual Katharine of Aragon Festival gets under way.
Created by Slaget Theatre, in association with Whispered Tales, this multidisciplinary production combines binaural audio technology, contemporary dance and immersive storytelling to transform historic spaces into intimate encounters with one of history’s most misunderstood queens.
Marking the 500 th anniversary of the King’s Great Matter, KATHARINE re-examines the story of Henry VIII’s first wife through her own perspective.
At a time when questions of identity, migration, power and belonging continue to shape our society, the production invites audiences to reconsider a familiar Tudor narrative. Through cutting-edge audio technology and site-
specific staging, the stunning and historic backdrop of cathedral spaces becomes the setting for a deeply moving and thought-provoking theatrical experience.
Performer Olena Hrabchak drifts throughout the guided journey as an ethereal figure, moving between historical embodiment and contemporary presence, weaving through the unfolding narrative.
Directed by Esther Simpson of Whispered Tales and featuring choreography by Lisa Simpson , the production is reimagined for each venue, with the live performance carefully adapted to respond to the unique architecture, history and atmosphere of every space. Audiences experience the production through immersive binaural sound design on headphones, creating a deeply moving and thought-provoking theatrical experience for theatre goers and history buffs.
Writer of KATHARINE, Nicola Werenowska comments: “I’ve long been fascinated by the stories of real women, women who history has the tendency to erase or reduce to a mere footnote. Henry VIII’s first wife, Katharine of Aragon, is one such woman. With KATHARINE I wanted to move past the history to her story, to reclaim her narrative from a vital and fresh female perspective. I wanted to explore her memories directly so that her resilience, faith, and defiance feel immediate.
"The more we explored, the more we found how deeply her struggles as a migrant and political figure 500 years ago echo the upheavals and societal challenges we face in today’s world.”