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In March 1976 Cawston Church saw the production of Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury, written by Charles Williams and produced by Paul Farnham, Rector of Cawston.  The cast comprised an unusual mixture of schoolboys from Cawston College, parishioners of the Cawston group of parishes, and guest artistes.

The production was relatively highbrow as befitted Paul’s gifts.  Had he not been a priest he was qualified for an academic or professional musical career.  The theme of the play was Henry VIII’s determined quest to divorce his first wife, Katharine of Aragon,  and marry Anne Boleyn.  Cranmer’s role in the conflict as Archbishop of Canterbury contributed to the Reformation and establishment of the Protestant church.

Henry was played by Graham Blyth, who still plays an active part in local amdram; Cranmer was  by Keith Noble on loan from the prestigious Maddermarket and I played Anne Boleyn (with all of three lines!).  My husband John and brother Christopher Howard were peasant members of the chorus.  One of the lords at court was played by a 19 year old Stephen Fry.

As a keen amateur actress I was in awe of Keith from the Maddermarket.  Stephen’s performance was mature and inventive; a serious precursor perhaps of Melchett in Blackadder? 

Rehearsals were often in the Rectory where Judith, Paul’s wife, was ever ready with endless coffee and biscuits.  Unusually for one so young Stephen was perfectly at home with Paul in serious academic discussion, which was somewhat over the heads of the rest of us!

The clearest memory is of full rehearsals in a glacial Cawston church, with the odd space heater having no effect whatsoever, and of a bored Cawston College schoolboy mumbling ‘Who is this Kramer bloke anyway?’!

35 years on we remember Paul’s sad accidental death in 1980, Graham is a successful architect, Christopher in a merchant bank in London, and John and I retired and semi-retired